MONEY taken from people’s bank accounts when the booking system crashed during a frenzy to get tickets to see David Walliams at the Marlborough LitFest has been returned, say organisers.

Cash was temporarily taken from accounts after The Pound Arts Centre’s booking system crashed, leaving some customers with 11 payments taken from their accounts without any tickets.

Anyone still out of pocket has been urged to get in contact with Pounds Arts Centre, which has been working round the clock to solve the issue.

Venue and programme manager Martin Campbell said: “It was caused by unprecedented demand and the volume of traffic with the number of people engaging with the event far exceeding expectation. The operating booking system wasn’t able to deal with the amount of people trying to book, which was a real shame.

“It is an issue we can address with our system and have been doing so since last week.

“We are asking anyone who still thinks they have an issue, if their payments are pending or in a ring-fenced status, to get in touch with Pound Arts Centre.”

The organisers of Marlborough Literature Festival were quick to issue an apology after the system failure last Wednesday, when people took to social media to complain money had vanished from their accounts.

In Marlborough town centre people queued round the block from 7.30am to buy tickets from the White Horse Bookshop to see the author and Britain’s Got Talent star at the festival in September.

Genevieve Clarke, LitFest’s programme manager, said: “We are sorry there were complications with bookings. We know The Pound are dealing with it fast and seriously. It is a great opportunity for Marlborough.

“We have been able to bring David Walliams to Marlborough and do two sessions. He is in the biggest venue we have available and we hope people will realise when we get a big name everyone has to act very fast.”

Organisers have announced Chris Cleave’s Everyone Brave is Forgiven as this year’s Big Town Read.

The aim of the Big Town Read is to give book groups and readers the chance to read and discuss the book so that they can put together some informed questions before the event in September. Copies are available from Marlborough library and free books have been provided by the publisher which can be taken away and shared with other readers.