Families turned away from Christmas fair after tech giant hired it out for staff

Families who travelled for hours to a Christmas fair only to be told they couldn’t enter because it had been hired out for an office party.

Arm Holdings, a tech company worth more than £100 billion, booked out Cambridge Christmas market – which is normally free and open to the public – for eight hours on Saturday, one of its busiest days in the season.

The firm is understood to have paid at least £175,000 to host a luxury private party at the venue.

The bash included exclusive access to the whole site – which includes an ice rink, Ferris wheel and alpine bar – as well as goody bags and extra entertainment including carol singers and a juggling elf.

Kent-based solicitor Craig Duncan, who drove his wife two hours to the venue only to be turned away, told The Times they were met with a hubbub of ‘raised voices and fingers wagging’ at the gates.

He estimated ‘thousands’ of people were rebuffed, adding: ‘It’s elitism at its worst. Think about other people while doing it.

‘You could have done it on Tuesday night or afternoon for employees if you love them that much and want to show off.’

One mum said her three kids were left ‘crying’ after they took three trains to get to the fair and were barred from entry.

The fair takes place on council-owned land at Parker’s Piece park and is run by a private company, Seventa Events.

Seventa claims Saturday’s closure was advertised on its website and that it was ‘genuinely sorry to anyone who arrived during the sold-out sessions and could not enter’.

But a local Lib Dem councillor suggested officials were told the private event would take place in a ‘separate area’ and that members of the public would not be excluded.

Katie Porrer said she would challenge the Labour-run council administration on the issue.

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