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Cash row ruins Ramadan festival

Ramadan tent owners ‘had no option’

THE first official Ramadan festival to be held in Westminster ended in acrimony more than a week early following a row over cash which led to the the seizure of the marquee.
The Ramadan Tent, in Marble Arch, was due to continue until Eid, yesterday (Thursday), but its suppliers De Boer removed their tent after festival organisers Master Events and the Egyptian UK Association failed to pay upfront thousands of pounds still owed on the rental costs. The manager of Master Events claimed that equipment and supplies belonging to the organisers, stall holders and suppliers had been damaged and dumped at the side of the road on Friday afternoon.
Festival organisers Master Events have said they are considering legal proceedings and have accused De Boer of removing the tent without warning.
Jin Sheng, the office manager, said: “We believe they are in breach of contract by asking us to pay so much money up front in cash. It is not the way to do business.
“We had already paid musicians to come after the tent had been closed and we have had to reimburse all the exhibitors for the rent they paid. We’ve written a lot of apology letters to exhibitors to say sorry for letting them down at the first ever European Ramadan tent. It is very disappointing.”
But the managing director of De Boer Structures UK Peter Spruce said: “Despite extensive negotiations with our client, we felt we had no option available. However, we cannot comment on confidential details of its contracts with its clients.”
Mohamad Ahmed was among the stallholders whose stock was destroyed. He said: “I don’t know what went on but it happened in the afternoon before any of us had arrived. We didn’t lose too much – maybe about £50 worth of olive oil."



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