AXED hotel staff are vowing to pull together today and work free of charge to make sure a heart-broken couple have a venue for their wedding reception.

Adam Saunders and Amanda Mularczyk, both 35, were told on Thursday, less than 48 hours before their big day, that all 45 employees at South Marston Hotel and Leisure Club had been sacked and the hotel was closing on Friday.

The staff had been forbidden from telling anyone and HGV driver Adam only found out when he came to drop off items for the wedding reception.

But knowing that £4,200 had been paid and the reception reserved two years ago, staff pleaded with the auditors to keep the hotel open until Sunday so the couple and their 200 guests, have somewhere to celebrate after tying the knot at St Margaret’s Church.

Employees at the 60-bed hotel in Old Vicarage Lane have been told they will not be paid this month’s wages.

Adam and Amanda, who live in Stratton and have two sons, are amazed by the incredible gesture.

Around ten to 15 staff will be volunteering to help but the couple, who have been together ten years, are still on edge in case something goes wrong.

“We are guaranteed to get married, it’s just the venue after,” said Adam.

“No one else will take 200 guests at such short notice. If we have to we will get a curry and takeaway."

“I walked into the hotel on Thursday and Kelly our organiser just broke down and we could see it all over her face.

“Her team has been incredible and if it wasn’t for them coming in unpaid it wouldn’t even go ahead. They are bending over backwards to make it happen. It’s overwhelming.”

Amanda, a teaching assistant at Seven Fields Primary School, added: “We have been feeling really anxious.

“They have said it will go ahead but obviously if anything happens it is out of their hands and there is nothing they can do about it.

“We are having an afternoon tea followed by a hot evening buffet. They have looked at what they have got and they can hopefully pull together enough. If they have to go to Sainsbury’s they will do.”

The hotel, which ceased trading under the Mecure brand in February and is now run by Focus Hotels Management Limited, announced in May it would close at the end of October but this week the date was brought forward. Tomorrow (Sunday) its doors will close for the final time.

In December 2015 owners said it was no longer a viable business and asked to knock the building down to make space for 72 homes.

Couples who had booked the venue for weddings were told they would being honoured up until October.

Members who use the leisure facilities have also been left out of pocket.

Briony Roberts said: “The members of my Zumba class including the instructor, were in complete shock when we turned up for our session, only to discover it would be the very last one.

“What a waste and massive shame it is to lose such a lovely facility when so many other fitness centres in the area are already over-subscribed.

“What I would like to ask owner of the hotel building Mr Paul Cripps is 'Why the sudden change of heart? And, do you know how many people your decision adversely affects?’”

Fellow gym member Des Fitzpatrick, 69, added: “My initial reaction is it’s shameful that a multi-millionaire owner can walk away and leave people on minimum wage having to go to the public purse for their salaries and redundancies.”

MP for North Swindon Justin Tomlinson said: “I’m very, very angry.

“There seems to be such little communication with the staff and the customers and whilst we understand businesses can fail, there seems to have been an ongoing catalogue of poor communication.

“Understandably there is a huge amount of concern and this is something that needs to be investigated.”

Since the Adver broke the news about the hotel’s closure, businesses have been rallying around to help couples due to get married there.

Blunsdon House Hotel, The Wiltshire Hotel Golf and Leisure Club in Royal Wootton Bassett and Alexandra House in Wroughton will price match prices if proof of contracts can be produced.

Contact Grace Theobald at Blunsdon on (01793) 721701 or Mandy Barrell at The Wiltshire Hotel on (01793) 849999 or Steve Rycroft at Alexandra House on (01793) 819030.