Lapland theme park fraudsters Victor and Henry Mears have been jailed for their million-pound rip-off.
The brothers from Brighton were each jailed for 13 months by a judge at Bristol Crown Court today.
Victor Mears, 67, of Selsfield Drive, Moulsecoomb, and Henry Mears, 60, of Coombe Road, Brighton, were sentenced after being found guilty by a jury last month.
They were convicted of conning thousands of customers shortly before Christmas 2008 with false promises of a “winter wonderland” in the New Forest.
Many of their victims were families with young children, disappointed after responding to adverts in The Argus and other local newspapers to visit the bogus attraction.
They were lured by promises of huskies, polar bears and other animals, snow-covered log cabins and a nativity scene.
Families arrived also expecting a bustling Christmas market.
Instead they were greeted by the sight of a broken ice rink and fairy lights hanging from trees
The brothers are believed to have taken more than £1,000,000 through the scam although prosecutors are unsure of the total.
They were convicted of eight counts of misleading advertising by a jury at Bristol after a two-month trial.
Dorset Trading Standards brought the case after thousands of angry customers complained of being ripped off by the scam.
The site closed within days, with the owners blaming negative media coverage and sabotage.
and do they get to keep the money? Very embarrassing for poor, blameless Mary Mears to have such wicked relatives.