ANGRY brides today claimed a dry cleaner had kept their gowns for months and then returned them dirty.Prim Dry Cleaners, in Ropes Drive, Kesgrave, had Lisa Dakin's dress for four months and admitted it was never cleaned because they believed she would cause them trouble.

ANGRY brides today claimed a dry cleaner had kept their gowns for months and then returned them dirty.

Prim Dry Cleaners, in Ropes Drive, Kesgrave, had Lisa Dakin's dress for four months and admitted it was never cleaned because they believed she would cause them trouble.

Mrs Dakin married in July this year and took her £600 dress to Prim Dry cleaners on August 6.

She was told the dress would be returned within four to six weeks but had to wait until December before she saw the dress again.

When it was finally returned it was delivered by the Dry Cleaning Arbitration Service which had carried out a report stating the dress had never been cleaned.

Mrs Dakin, of Dickinson Terrace, said: “I am pleased to finally have my dress back but am very puzzled as to where it has been all this time.

“Different people from the shop kept telling me different things about where it was and I was told on more than one occasion that the dress had been cleaned twice because the marks did not come out fully the first time.

“So you can imagine my surprise at finding out it has never been cleaned.

“At least I did not have to part with any money but I fear others may go through the same trauma.”

Mrs Dakin said she was surprised the company felt they knew she would be trouble all along but did not wish to offer a comment about their attitude.

Another newly wed has also claimed to have been dissatisfied with Prim Dry Cleaners over the return of her three-piece bridal gown.

Siggi Batstone took her gown to the cleaners in July 2004 and paid £65 for it to be cleaned.

Mrs Batstone, of Malvern Close, Rushmere St Andrew, said: “Although the cost seemed expensive I gladly agreed believing my dress would receive nothing but first class service.”

However it actually took four months before she saw her dress again and she said it was not clean when she did.

She added: “After several telephone calls the bodice arrived at Kesgrave but the scarf and the dress were missing.

“I later found out they had been sent to the Bracknell branch.

“I feel angry and let down by a place that should have better customer care - especially when dealing with items of great sentimentality.”

Ahmed Khawaja, administrator controller for Prim Dry Cleaners, said: “We were originally told Mrs Dakin's dress would have to be cleaned twice and this is why she was told it had been.

“But we realised she was going to be trouble early on in the proceedings so did not clean the dress for fear she would complain.

“We sent it to the arbitration service because of all the trouble we received from her about getting her dress back.

“Up until now we have not had any complaints and we have not heard from Mrs Batstone before.”