HUNDREDS of families have been left heartbroken after holidays booked at Craig Tara caravan site turned out to be an elaborate scam.

Holiday hopefuls across Scotland and as far away as Manchester have had their future plans at the Haven site ruined after the devastating news that their trip was cancelled and they were unlikely to be refunded, after they purchased caravan getaways from Lisa McGuire.

An Ayrshire mum who did not wish to be named has told how her October week plans with her family were cancelled as she lost out on £400.

The family were looking forward to a break away during the school holidays, with the mum also taking her dad, 63 who has dementia and her mum, 65 who has a long term illness.

She said: “We were supposed to go Monday to Friday with my son who is disabled and has ADHD.

“The night before we were supposed to leave I tried to contact Lisa to find out the details, to then find out I couldn’t reply to her message. I thought I was either blocked or the page was deactivated. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“We had already packed, so we had to unpack. My son was devastated and my parents were disappointed.”

“To find out so many have been scammed, it’s absolutely shocking. I don’t know how that woman can sleep at night.

“Craig Tara is great for children and disabled people, we like to go there because its close to home and its cheap. A lot of people can’t afford a holiday. “

The shocked parent told how she found further difficulty when calling her bank, as the payment was made via a bank transfer as “it was the same as giving the money to someone in the street.”

Hundreds became caught up in the scandal last week, as thousands joined a Facebook group “Scammed by Lisa McGuire”.

Police launched an investigation last week after they received hunreds of reports of fraudulent activity.

A spokesperson for Craig Tara said: “We were upset to hear that a small number of people have been duped into purchasing holidays through fraudulent social media sites. We have advised people who have contacted us directly to report the matter to the police.”

Police advised “enquiries are ongoing.”