Asda Firm Out Of The Picture

Mar 9 2008 Additional Reporting By Jane Barrie

Furious Families Lose Cherished Snaps As Portrait Studios Pull Down Shutters

FAMILIES have lost treasured photos after supermarket giant Asda's in-store studios went bust.

The Portrait Studio, who rented space in the stores, left hundreds of customers disappointed.

Mum Debbie McAleavey fears she will never see her snaps of 15-week-old daughter Ellie.

The 26-year-old paid £199.68 in January for 12 individual photos and two canvasses at the Glasgow Parkhead store.

She said: "Ellie was just 10 weeks old and I wanted professional pictures for friends and family."

Debbie paid cash and was told to expect her photos within a week.

Some of the order arrived but the canvasses did not.

Office clerk Debbie, of Coatbridge, said: "When two weeks passed I got suspicious. I couldn't get The Portrait Studio on the phone so I went to the shop to see if the order was ready."

She found the shutters down and a makeshift sign which said: "Closed until further notice."

Customers at four other stores in Leeds, Newcastle, Bradford and Reading have also been hit.

Debbie, married to civil servant Edward, 30, said: "I went to customer services to find out what was happening." Asda told her the firm had gone bust and gave her a mobile phone number.

She said: "I phoned and left a message and later received a call from a man who said The Portrait Studio had gone into liquidation and he was dealing with it.

"He hoped to get his hands on all outstanding photos within a week and promised to call."

But Debbie heard nothing and called me in. She said: "I am really angry. It's ridiculous that something like this can happen in Asda."

I discovered The Portrait Studio is a trading name of Liverpool based PCA International (UK) Ltd.

A liquidator has been appointed and a creditors' meeting will be held on Friday.

Company secretary Bjorn Grage said Asda were handling complaints from around 120 customers.

I got on to Asda, who said: "We are really sorry that customers have experienced problems with PCA International (UK) Ltd.

"The abrupt closure was totally unexpected.

"Although we are not obliged to, we are, where possible, fulfilling all outstanding orders or providing customers with a full refund."

I expect Asda to pull out all the stops and show my readers they are picture perfect.

'Ellie was just 10 weeks and I wanted pictures'

Debbie McAleavey