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A woman is offering to give her dress away for free after more than 100 brides-to-be faced wedding hell after a bridal shop closed down.

Deborah Clarke, from Barry , said she decided to make the offer after reading the story about the Anna Sara bridal shop in Newport closing its doors.

Deborah, 36, got married five years ago at Barry Registry Office. She said: “I wanted to do something to help these women out, to give something back.

“I won’t need the dress again, so if it can make someone else’s day like it did mine, then why shouldn’t I donate it?

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“Getting married is a very stressful process, and I know exactly what it’s like for things to go wrong just before a wedding day. A week before I got married, I got let down by our DJ. I wasn’t in the best of ways at that stage - let’s just say every plate in my kitchen got smashed.”

Closed until further notice

A note was placed in the window of Anna Sara bridal shop saying the business had been closed until further notice.

Brides-to-be claimed they were unable to get hold of the company and feared they wouldn’t get their dresses in time for their weddings.

But owner Melanie Bishop claimed she has been the victim of a campaign of “abuse and lies” and that threats and violence caused her to close the shop.

(Image: Wales News Service)

'It's the emotional strain of it all too'

Deborah said she is offering her dress, which is a size 14-16 and will just need to be dry cleaned ahead of another wedding, completely free of charge to any bride-to-be affected by the closure.

She said: “People put a lot of time and effort into weddings and it’s the emotional strain of it all too.

“It’s knowing there are all of those people planning on coming and that it could all go very wrong.

“If my dress can make someone’s dream come true, I’m happy to help.”

Wales Air Ambulance said it is offering dresses which were donated to its charity shop by supporters which might also help anyone affecting by the closure of Anna Sara.

Caroline Marshall, Pontypridd Wales Air Ambulance shop manager, said: “Every year, we receive beautiful wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses as kind donations to our charity shops.

“We having stunning dresses for sale throughout our network of shops across Wales, which are all excellent quality and help to raise the funds needed to keep our helicopters flying.”

Each dress in the charity’s shops across Wales was donated to Wales Air Ambulance to help raise the £6 million needed every year to fund the charity’s services.

Caroline added: “We have a range of dresses to suit all ages, all shapes, sizes and styles.”