Organisers of Jurassic Park experience in Peterborough apologise after hundreds of complaints from angry families

Frustrated parents have voiced their disappointment about the Jurassic park comes to Peterborough event at the Embankment today (Sunday) with many leaving within the hour despite travelling from outside the city to visit.

Complaints centred on the advertised 18 foot T-Rex not being brought out, with many criticising the quality of the costumes of the other dinosaurs on display.

Many people also hit out at the small amount of space available - with the free event being put on inside a fair - the large amount of traffic and the £5 charge for parking.

The organisers have now posted on Facebook to apologise for the problems, stating that the T-Rex was not brought out due to "health and safety" after an estimated 10 times more visitors arrived than expected.

Posting on Facebook, the Jurassic park experience said: "This was our first event and we strive to do better at our next one."

It added: "On behalf of the whole team again I would like to apologise to anyone who was disappointed today. We will do better next time."

Organisers also said there were multiple dinosaurs present, despite some parents claiming they only saw one.

However, despite the apology many families have told the Peterborough Telegraph of their disappointment from the day.

Helen Dodds, who attended with her 10-year-old daughter and disabled husband, and paid £5 for parking, said: "We saw masses of people but assumed they were queuing for an ice cream. It was only on closer inspection that we realised there was a poster of a dinosaur but no actual dinosaur.

"My daughter had been looking forward to the event that was passed off as Jurassic park in Peterborough and we assumed it was an event that was like being there. The posters had Triceratop pictures and said they were animated but it was a man in a suit. We saw it as we were leaving.

"My daughter has learning issues and it really upset her that she couldn't see anything - there were too many people and it was just a fairground. We don't go to the fair because of her issues but thought we would take a chance as its dinosaurs and she has been obsessed with them since she was very small. I'll start saving money and take her to the Natural History Museum in London instead. A huge disappointment to us."

Carol Hurdman tweeted: "Very disappointed with the lack of dinosaur's there definitely no 18ft one or robotic ones just a man in a suit. 8 year was very upset. Over 45mins to get there for nothing. Walked round & left within half hour."

Kieron Gross said: "It was a shambles, one person in a dinosaur suit and that was it.."

Graham Palmer said it was a "total joke" after coming from London with his other half to join his dinosaur-loving, three-year-old nephew.

Another visitor, Dale, tweeted to the PT: "We went indeed but felt forced to leave due to the overcrowding in such a small area."

A man in a suit was provided by a local museum in an attempt to calm the situation by keeping children happy after the main T-Rex failed to appear.

Volunteers from Fossils Galore Museum in March, Cambridgeshire, who were at the event as an attraction but not connected to the organisers, inflated the suit.

Fossils Galore’s owner Jamie Jordan said: “When we arrived to set up our stall, they put us really close to the rides. We felt it was cramped.

“They told us the dinosaur would be wandering around, seeing all the visitors.

“We had so many irate parents and upset children coming to see our display with fossils. We thought the best thing we could do was bring out the inflatable dinosaur. It was crazy. All our volunteers, they were run ragged with the amount of people. We were just trying to do our best to help the people that turned up. I’ve never seen so many people at an event like this.”

The Jurassic park experience posted on Facebook:

"To any one who was disappointed in our event at Peterborough today . The whole team would like to apologise .

The giant T-Rex was not out on the day due to sheer weight of people it was a health and safety decision on the day , it was to crowded to even try and bring it out . Safety comes first .

The dinosaurs where out though we had the raptors , the 8ft T-Rex and the baby dinosaurs out .

The viewing area was to small and to crammed . We were expecting somewhere in the region of 500-1000 people out as this was our first event . We estimate that there was somewhere in the region of 10 times this many .

We realise after running the event that the only way that many people could see the dinosaurs would be in an arena . And this is what we plan to do at our next event .

The original plan was for the dinosaurs to wonder round the event stopping for photos and interacting with kids . This was not possible on the day as we did try this approach but people wear pushing and actually hanging on the dinosaurs .

Chop the 18ft T-Rex will be out at our next event in an arena so it is safe for people to see him .

This was our first event and we strive to do better at our next one . More planning and more space is required we understand this . This was a free event and we plan to keep it that way .

The decision was made on the day to park cars on the embankment site as the pay and display car park was full and traffic was backing up . This was charged at £5 for all day parking . Where as the pay and display parking was charged at £8 for all day .

On behalf of the whole team again I would like to apologise to anyone who was disappointed today . We will do better next time !

We would ask that people who did enjoy the event and have nice photos with the dinosaurs please post on our page and comment on our page ."