A BRIDE-to-be has been left with no wedding gown and £1,000 out-of-pocket after the shock closure of a Glasgow bridal store.

Berketex left women across the city in a state of panic on Tuesday after it announced on its social media pages that it, “ceased to trade with immediate effect.”

All 11 outlets across the UK, and one in Dublin, including the Bath Street branch, were quickly emptied of all stock and closed their doors that day.

Devastated bride-to-be Sharon Stewart has been left in limbo after she ordered and paid for a dress which had yet to be made.

Sharon, due to be married next May, told the Evening Times how she first visited the store in August and found “the perfect dress”.

She said: “The staff were so nice. It was so exciting. After choosing one, I was told it would take six months to make. It was £1,200 in total. I paid my deposit and made more payments after that.

“Then, two weeks ago, I went back in and bought a veil. I was told to come back and that my dress would be available at the start of next year and that they’d do my alterations.

“Then, on Tuesday, I saw on social media the company had gone down. I called them and they said, ‘Yeah, your dress is not made and you’ll need to call the bank’. That’s all they would tell me.

“The administrators quickly moved in that day and emptied the store and the shop was completely shut. Everything’s been so fast. Nobody’s being told anything.

“Everything we know is through social media. Everything’s gone and there are no dresses for those who paid in cash or credit cards.”

Sharon, 30, said she “couldn’t believe it” when a friend called her to let her know about the announcement on Facebook.

“I couldn’t find many details online,” explained Sharon, from Govan, “but when I phoned Berketex, they confirmed it. That’s all they said. That and they just kept telling me to call my bank.

“I’ve been so upset since. I’ve lost all this money, I’ve no dress and I’ve got a wedding coming up. How am I supposed to go ahead and start the whole process again?

“I started looking at shops straight away to make appointments, but there’s so much else still to plan and I keep wondering whether I’ll have to cut something else out. Can I not have a photographer now, or no transport? I don’t know how I’ll fit it all in in under six months.

“My wedding is on May 9 next year – just the amount of time it would take to make a new dress. At the moment, I’ve no idea how I’m meant to fund a new dress or if I’ll even have time to get one made.

Sharon said staff appeared to know nothing of what was coming all the times she visited, including two weeks ago. She added: “The staff were so nice, so friendly and it was all, ‘Yeah, see you again soon’.

Staff say they were themselves in the dark until the morning of the announcement.

One employee wrote online on Tuesday: “From the staff at Glasgow Berketex Bride, we knew nothing of this happening today and it was a shock to us all.

Berketex said in its closure statement: “The director of the company wishes to express his sincere apologies for the abrupt closure of the store and any subsequent inconvenience this may cause to customers of the company.

“Insolvency company Wilson Field Limited appreciate that this will be distressing for the customers of the company and will deal with individual queries as quickly as possible, however, we anticipate a high volume of calls and, therefore, ask for your patience in advance.”