Bride and groom left stranded on their wedding night after their booked taxi fails to show in Milton Keynes

A family member booked two taxis days in advance to take the newly-wed couple and other relatives home after the celebrations ended.

Claire Maxwell booked through Raffles, which is run by Bounds Taxis in MK.

"I booked the taxis to collect us from the wedding venue at Bradwell Abbey at 12.10am. As it was an important event, and I was aware that there was a big concert on at Campbell Park that night too, I called to make the booking on the Tuesday before. I received confirmation for this.”

But on the night of the wedding, four minutes before they were due to be picked up and after all the other guests had left, Claire says she received a text from the company stating: “No cars to cover the booking’

The text added: “Sorry for any inconvenience”..Claire said: This left the bride and groom, ourselves and four children stranded. As expected, no other companies could provide taxis at that point.”

"We obviously contacted the company and it seemed they could not have cared less. They showed no concern, no attempt to help or rectify the situation or indeed general decency or empathy for our situation, created by them,” she claimed.

The family then had to call around to try to find lifts to take them back to their destinations in Stony Stratford and Deanshanger.

“We had to rely on friends who’d left the venue some time earlier to come back to collect us, including a friend’s babysitter,” said Claire.

“It was bad enough that it hampered the end of a lovely day for my sister in law, but I couldn’t help thinking what if it had been a single parent with their kids or a young teenager who was trusting the company to get them home? It just doesn’t bear thinking about.”

She has tried to since discuss with Bounds but claims she’s had little success. “I’m at a loss re how to make a difference and to save others from this experience,” she said.

The Citizen contacted Bounds Taxis manager Chris Mills for a comment.

He said: “We are currently in conversation by email with this customer to try and resolve the concerns raised.”