PANICKED brides have spoken of their stress and wedding woes after the shop due to supply the dresses for each of their big days suddenly closed down.

The Argus has heard numerous complaints against Anna Sara bridal shop, of Commercial Street, Newport, that allege the owners of the shop have not been responding to calls and messages with just weeks to go until wedding dates.

Newport Trading Standards is now investigating the business after it also received complaints.

A Facebook page has so far attracted 1,079 users, with more than 100 brides joining within two days of it being set up.

Nichola Pakau, who is due to get married on Saturday August 20, at the Celtic Manor Resort, said she placed a substantial deposit with the firm for her wedding dress and nine bridesmaids dresses in October 2015.

Now, with less than four weeks to go before her big day, she said she has only received one dress, which she branded 'half-finished'.

"It's affected my home life and work life," said Ms Pakau. "It has just been an awful experience."

The 34-year-old, from Cwmbran, said more than 200 people had contacted her privately since seeing her story on the Facebook group, which was set up by her sister Katy Collett.

The Argus has tried to contact Anna Sara via the telephone number listed on its website every day for the past two weeks, to no avail. We were also unable to contact the shop owners. Many of those affected have also said they have been unable to contact the shop since it closed.

A note placed in the window of the shop in Commercial Street says: "Due to recent verbal abuse and attempted physical assault on staff, this shop will be closed until further notice for their own safety. This business has not closed. We will be contacting all brides individually and honouring all orders."

Ms Collett added: "It’s very difficult to watch, my sister is just in bits – we’re doing everything that we can.

"It's just sickening for this shop to be destroying some of the best days of these brides' lives."

Kristina Burroughs of Pontypool is due to get married on Saturday August 6, but, with less than two weeks to go, she is yet to receive her dress from Anna Sara, despite putting down a “large” deposit.

Her mum, Kim, said she and her daughter, aged 31, had turned up at the shop for a fitting on Friday July 8, to find it closed.

“We’ve emailed, rung and left a note. We even sent a letter by recorded post, but have had no answer,” she said.

She added the experience had been “very distressing” for her daughter, who also faced the stress of an operation just a few weeks ago.

“You expect everything to be perfect for your daughter’s wedding,” she said.

“I didn’t expect this.”

Although they have since ordered another dress with a different company, Ms Burroughs said it was not clear if it would turn up in time.

"We want to make sure no one else goes through what we have,” she said.

Amy O'Leary of Pontypridd, is another to be affected.

The 27-year-old, who is marrying partner David in August 2017, said she had decided to use the company after meeting them at a wedding fair last year and had been touched when they offered to donate another dress to be auctioned for charity.

But she said she had been unable to contact the shop and had received no information since the note appeared in the window.

“We’ve started looking at other shops because it doesn’t look like I’m going to be getting anything,” she said.

“If I can stop other people being in this situation in the future that’s why I want to share my story.

“No one deserves this.”

A spokeswoman for Newport City Council said: "Newport Trading Standards is investigating the business under consumer protection legislation and we are unable to comment further until those investigations are complete.

"Customers with queries are advised to contact trading.standards@newport.gov.uk"