A Grinch event selling tickets for £20 per head has been cancelled after staff at the pub venue holding the festive occasion were subject to "severe trolling and bullying".

The Balfour Arms, a pub in Sidmouth, Devon, was transformed into the fictional town Whoville - the location of the internationally-beloved film The Grinch Who Stole - for the season this year, following a successful themed event several months ago.

Owners of the local watering hole had hoped to spread the festive cheer with their latest transformation, but ended up upsetting the Sidmouth community. Parents who spent £20 per head for their children's entry were left shocked after the event ran for just one day, with pub representatives promising to refund all those who booked.

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reports that the Whoville Christmas experience was advertised as an event set to take place between December 21 and 23, with the pub cramming a host of activities and gifts into the £20-per-head tickets, including a packed a fairground ride, face painting, a buffet, and meet and greets with the Grinch, Mrs Claus, Cindy Lou and elves.

The tickets also included a visit to Santa's grotto, bouncy castle, gifts, a barbecue, a ball pit, an activity table, a hot chocolate and live music. The event went ahead as planned on December 21, but was cancelled for the following two days after the released a yellow warning for rain in the area.

The move sparked a wave of anger and negative comments posted to the pub's page, with criticisms including that the move left "a lot of very unhappy people and children", some of whom had travelled from Plymouth, Dawlish and Torquay to experience the event.

They added: "I was chatting to other parents there yesterday [December 21] and their kids were in tears and had to leave like us." Other parents complained about the "underwhelming" event, with one saying: "We arrived at 1pm and left by 2pm. What a total underwhelming experience.

"You were promised to step into the magical Whoville, but instead we were greeted with deflated balloons and a totally disorganised event. Two very disappointed children." The Balfour Arms hit back at the negative commenters in a follow-up post in which it said it had "received some severe trolling and bullying" over the preceding 24 hours.

It said: "Unfortunately, due to the conditions and circumstances, our Whoville event today and for tomorrow is so sadly cancelled. We have put an awful lot of hard work into making this event special as we can and we are absolutely heartbroken to have to do this.

"We have received some severe trolling and bullying in the last 24 hours as well. Somethings have been said that should never be said to anyone. We can only apologise again but cannot control the weather as much as we wish we could. If you are due to attend, please pop us a message with your details so we can arrange your refund again. We are ever so sorry."