A SOUTHEND MP has called for tougher measures on fraud after parents were left "out of pocket" and "feeling tricked" after buying tickets for an inflatable fun day that never happened.

Last month dozens of parents purchased tickets for the event, which was only advertised with a postcode as the location, before Southend Council and Southend trading standards issued a warning.

The event never went ahead and MP for Southend West and Leigh David Burton-Sampson highlighted the issued in the House of Commons during a debate on the Government's fraud strategy.

A new fraud strategy was unveiled in May 2023, which set out a plan to reduce fraud by 10 per cent on 2019 levels by December 2024.

However, many of the MPs in the debate urged for more measures, claiming that fraud accounts for more than 40 per cent of crime in the UK.

In Parliament, Mr Burton-Sampson said: “Some of my constituents were left feeling tricked over an inflatable fun day.

“They had bought tickets in good faith, but it was a fictitious event.

“Parents left out of pocket after buying a number of the £15 tickets online and clearly children were left very upset.

“These sorts of things just shouldn’t happen but that is just one small example of how fraud can impact families.

“Fraud can have a devastating impact on individuals and their families, affecting not only their finances but their wellbeing, leaving them feeling manipulated and deceived.

“I call on the the new Government to work with the relevant partners and stakeholders to strengthen and expand the fraud strategy that was announced in May 2023 to combat the ever-growing and more sophisticated fraudulent schemes that target individual consumers.”

After family's purchased tickets, the council revealed it had not been approached about a booking or approved this event” and residents claimed they were unable to open emailed tickets after purchasing.

A separate firm did host authorised inflatable fun day events in Southend that successfully took place in Chalkwell Park on August 15 and 22, Priory Park on August 20 and Southchurch Park on August 27.