Hotel bosses in Bradford have put out an alert over New Year's Eve packages being offered by a Bradford man.

Nick Clarkson, who gives his address as Norwood Road, Shipley, has approached several large hotels proposing to arrange and sell to the public a package of accommodation and entertainment on December 31.

He has suggested taking an eight per cent profit on each individual package sold. But before any firm arrangements and agreements are made with the hotels, he has placed or tried to place advertisements in local newspapers - without the hotels' knowledge or permission - selling the places to New Year's Eve revellers.

He lists telephone numbers on which individuals can make reservations.

None of the hotels contacted by Rights and Wrongs say they will be doing any business with Mr Clarkson.

He approached the Holiday Inn Express in Shipley saying he wanted to reserve all 78 rooms for a special package which would include entertainment, a buffet and breakfast.

Sales executive Louise Jefferies said: "We told him to put it in writing and show us a draft of an advert because we needed to run it past head office.

"The next thing we knew was we had people ringing us about an advert he had put in the paper."

It offered a New Year's Eve special at the hotel for £35 per person with children free and included a buffet, overnight accommodation, breakfast and entertainment.

Eventually the hotel had to put its own advert in the paper disassociating itself from Mr Clarkson's advert.

"We did not sanction his advert or agree to anything," the spokesman said.

Mr Clarkson's friend Michael Jones then phoned the Quality Victoria Hotel in Bradford city centre proposing a similar package.

General manager Jean-Pierre Noret said: "Mr Clarkson came in a short time later with a copy of the newspaper advertisement and asked me how many bedrooms and restaurant table places I could let him have for New Year's Eve so he could do a similar thing here.

"I agreed that - in principle - I would be happy with him promoting a similar package but I said there would be a lot of conditions, including payment up front from him.

"I also wanted him to show me the advert before it went in the paper so I could make sure it corresponded with what we had provisionally agreed.

"We were talking about 25 to 30 rooms and about 55 seats in the restaurant.

"Nothing was agreed or signed but he said he would come in several days later with a payment and everything would be confirmed. He never turned up."

In the meantime, Mr Clarkson tried unsuccessfully to place an advertisement in the T&A offering a New Year Package at the Quality Victoria Hotel for £75.99.

But the advert had not been seen or approved by Mr Noret, who said he has now contacted colleagues in other hotels telling them about Mr Clarkson.

The advert said reservations could be made through Clarkson Travel - which is not listed with directory inquiries - and gave three telephone numbers, one of which is Mr Jones's home - a Bradford Council flat in Crag Road, Shipley.

Mr Clarkson has given his own address to newspapers advertising departments as a house in Norwood Road, Shipley which is divided into flats.

But no-one of his name is listed in the electoral role as living there.

Mr Clarkson also contacted Guy Wyncoll, operations manager at the Queens' Hotel in Leeds city centre, with a similar New Year's Eve proposal.

He provisionally booked 50 rooms and said he would collect the £109.50p from each customer who answered the ad he would place, deduct his eight per cent commission, and pass the rest of the money to the hotel.

Mr Wyncoll said: "When we started chasing him for a deposit or fax for confirmation, he couldn't provide anything so we released the rooms.

"I have now faxed other hotels in Leeds about Mr Clarkson."

Attempts by Rights and Wrongs to contact Mr Clarkson on the phone numbers and at the Crag Road and Norwood Road addresses have been unsuccessful.

Anyone who has paid money in full or as a deposit to Mr Clarkson is asked to contact Rights and Wrongs.

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