Comic con traders ‘devastated’ by damage at Braehead ice rink

Traders at a Glasgow comic con say they have been left with thousands of pounds of damaged stock due to an ice rink underneath the venue’s floor.

Footage from the Film and Comic Con event at the Braehead Arena shows water seeping through floor panels covering the ice.

The venue, which has hosted the convention for several years, is home to the Glasgow Clan ice hockey team.

Unlike at past events, this year the ice rink remained in place in the arena ahead of the team’s new season in September.

Trader Brittany Davison travelled from Darlington to sell items including loungefly bags and Funko Pop models.

She said the hall was damp on Friday, but organisers insisted problems would be sorted by the following day.

She added: “On Saturday we returned to find our table cloth soaked and the entire bottom row of stock was also wet.

“Our shelves are a few inches from the floor so it was definitely from condensation rising up from the ice rather than standing water.

“When I added the value up, it was around £3600.”

She estimated that figure had nearly doubled by the end of the following day, following further damage to stock.

Dealers specialising in comics, action figures and soft toys were among those in attendance, along with celebrity guests from Doctor Who and Star Wars.

Kate Reid runs her Grumpy Bunny business in Paisley, Renfrewshire, selling items based around the Japanese kawaii style.

Ms Reid said traders were not properly warned about the ice rink.

She said: “We were told it shouldn’t affect the stalls in any way, it would just be a bit cold. There was no mention of water on the floor, or of condensation.

“I walked in and saw puddles on parts of the floor.

“Staff were trying to dry the bits where people were walking around on, but they couldn’t get enough room. So we were just standing in puddles all day.”

Ms Reid’s said her business would be affected massively by the weekend.

She explained: “I’m a small business and the only employee, so £6000 of damage is devastating for me.

“I put stuff underneath the clothes rails to try and provide a barrier, but it didn’t matter because there was so much condensation that they still got damp.

“As soon as an item was dropped on the floor it was immediately wet and dirty, and the soft toys I sell absorbed it all too. It has meant they are either damp or smell.”

Ms Reid said that event organiser Showmasters blamed the problems on Braehead Arena and it would not refund dealers for tables they had booked.

She added that Braehead staff had been helpful in trying to sort out insurance claims.

Showmasters and Braehead Arena have been contacted for comment.