There has been a mixture of sympathy and outrage after a Hitchin bridal shop suddenly went out of business.

The owners of Hinxworth Bridal, based near the southern end of Hermitage Road, announced on Friday evening that it had gone into administration.

In a statement on Facebook, they said: “It is with deep regret to announce Hinxworth Bridal is no longer open for business.

“It has been an incredibly difficult decision to make and one we didn’t take lightly – and it’s affected us both deeply and emotionally, with a great strain on our health.

“We’ve done our level best to protect all our brides and grooms, and have put in place a process for clients to collect items and to continue getting garments ordered in.”

The team asked customers not to contact them over social media or through their personal phones “as we are powerless to help any further”.

Some have reacted with sympathy, saying they had wonderful experiences with Hinxworth Bridal in the past and were sorry to see what one called the “heart-wrenching decision to take administration”.

But others have received the news with fury, saying customers who ordered dresses nine months ago have been left with nothing to wear on their big day.

Some have claimed they have been having trouble contacting the shop as far back as March 21.

There has also been anger at the manner of the announcement – which was made late on a Friday, and through Facebook rather than the firm’s official website.

Bride-to-be Chelsea Lee told the Comet: “This is every bride’s worst nightmare.

“The stress of organising a wedding is bad enough without having to deal with the repercussions of irresponsible business owners.”

Another, posting in a Facebook group set up by brides affected, wrote: “I cannot stop crying.”

Those defending Hinxworth Bridal’s owners have included Shelly Shulman, who said: “They have been longstanding members of the wedding industry for years and this is not a decision I know they (or any business) would have taken lightly.

“It is possible to feel sorry for the people who have lost their livelihood and the people who have lost dresses at the same time.”

The Comet has contacted the shop’s administrators Turpin Barker Armstrong for comment.