By JULIA RAVENSCROFT

A PAIR of children were left heartbroken when their birthday party was cancelled an hour before it was planned to begin.

Megan Richardson and Naomi Cameron were seven on Saturday and Megan's mum Joanna, of Ollerton Close, Grappenhall, had booked Party Pirates Play Bus for 20 youngsters six weeks ago.

But the celebrations were cut short when an hour before the party was due to start, the organisers phoned up to say their bus had unfortunately broken down.

Joanna said: "I was devastated, we didn't even have a birthday cake in the house.

"They said could we run round in 50 minutes and find somewhere else to hold the party.

"I asked if they could tow the bus down and they said they could get it to LA Bowl in Winwick.

"But I could hear a party going on in the background and I believe they had double booked."

But Ian and Paula Chadwick, who run the business from their home, said the water pump broke down on the bus an hour before Joanna's party and there was nothing they could do about it.

He said: "I was turning round the bus to start the party before hers and all the water gushed out so we had to cancel the next parties."

They offered to bring the party equipment to Joanna's house and hold the party there but were refused, they said. They couldn't tow the bus to Grappenhall because it was too far.

Mr Chadwick said: "I have sent her money back in the post and offered her a free party in the week but she didn't want it.

"It was a mechanical problem and there was nothing we could do about it."

Mr and Mrs Chadwick have been running their popular business for five years and said they have only had problems with the bus once before.