Lapsed licences threat to marriages
Wedding plans were thrown into chaos after it was found that the licences to conduct civil marriages at five hotels in North Wales had expired unnoticed.
One of the hotels was the 35-bedroom Kinsale Hall and Country Club, Flintshire. General manager Alison Pearse-Kelly said: "We get a notice of renewal for other licences, such as entertainment, but not for marriages.
"We had to wait 21 days to get a new licence, so two couples booked within that time had to get married elsewhere and then come back here for the reception, creating extra costs. The council has shown no compassion and we're talking to our solicitors."
The other hotels were Highfield Hall, Soughton Hall, the Holiday Inn Garden Court and Plas Hafod Country House, all also in Flintshire.
A spokesman for the Registrar General admitted that it would be a matter for the courts to decide if the marriages were legal.
A spokeswoman for Flintshire County Council said: "We will issue reminders in future to avoid any distress to couples caused by businesses' failure to renew their licences."
