They were expecting a Willy Wonka event with all the frills. Instead, they called the cops

A Willy Wonka-themed children's event, guaranteed to be an immersive experience, turned out to be an utter disappointment and left parents outraged in Glasgow, Scotland.

The event, advertised with lush gardens, giant lollipops and swirls of colourful candy, was a mere walk through a barren event hall with folding tables, The Washington Post reported.

Stuart Sinclair, a parent who arrived with his three children, said he paid $45 for the tic. "The worst part is there was no chocolate," he added.

The event's organiser, House of Illuminati, first registered Britain in November, apologised for the underwhelming event in a deleted Facebook post and said they would issue refunds to all the attendees.

The company director, Billy Coull, who was present during the event, said they could not stage the event properly due to "unforeseen circumstances" and the company-ordered "holographic paper" did not arrive in time. "So, so sorry to everybody for the sheer and utter disappointment," Coull said, according to STV News.

According to the event's website, it had no affiliation to the Warner Bros. movie or franchise.

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Michael Archibald, a college student, was hired to work as a stand-in for Willy Wonka through a career site. He received the job on Thursday and was given a costume with an unusual script the following day, which seemed to have been generated by artificial intelligence and lacked a human touch. On Saturday, when Archibald saw the setting he'd be performing in, he said, "This is a place where dreams went to die."

Many attendees who travelled even farther from England or northern Scotland for the event were fuming. "Everyone was just walking in disbelief, shaking their heads," Sinclair said.

Archibald had to drop his act during the event due to the "dreadful" mood. He started requesting families to ask for a refund. House of Illuminati cancelled the event early, which created further confusion as many families who booked later timeslots arrived late and gathered outside the event hall. Some parents were so furious they called the cops.

Scotland police have confirmed they responded to calls from guests who showed up for an event that had already been cancelled. After advising the visitors, the officers left the scene.

The event quickly became a subject of ridicule on social media as many pointed out the stark differences between the images used in ads and the actual event. Some even speculated that the company's illustrations were generated by AI.

(With inputs from agencies)