It is going to be a miserable Christmas for thousands of families - some in Oxfordshire - who pinned their faith in Farepak.

The mail order company, which called in administrators last month, has let them all down by taking their money, then shutting up shop.

The collapse means that customers, who had paid for hampers and other festive goods, will get nothing.

The British Retail Consortium, which had hoped to help families with a goodwill gesture, announced yesterday that it had had to abandon the idea because of the size of the debt.

It is right that there should be a thorough investigation into the way Farepak was run.

There is evidence that the company was in difficulties as early as last December.

If that is the case, it is appalling that it continued to accept money, knowing full well that it might not be able to meet its commitments.

Even Jack Straw, Leader of the House of Commons, has said that customers were "defrauded".

The Companies Investigations Branch at the Department of Trade and Industry is looking into the collapse.

Yesterday there were demands in the Commons for the Serious Fraud Office to be called in.

The families who have lost money deserve answers.