Amy WhiteWaterstones have apologized after complaining of “completely anarchy” and congestion at an event at their major shop on Wednesday.
The attendees said that the annual bookfest of the bookseller was disorganized and potentially insecure, joking with some social media users that they “escaped” from the incident while one considered it “hell on meaning”.
The video posted online showed huge crowds at the entire shop in Piccadili, Central London, with long queues out on the stairs and the road.
Booksailing series Posted on X It was really regret to hear about any negative experience, “and told the BBC that the safety of the attendees was” never at risk “.
Kelly Greenhal said it was “extremely busy” when she reached the shop for the annual program, where the readers meet the authors, reach the early copies of books, and participate in panels and workshops.
But he said that when there were hundreds of people, no employee was present to provide direction or help.
“I saw not a single member of the Waterstone or event staff the whole time,” he told the BBC.
“The queues were on all stairs, in front of all lifts.”
The 33 -year -old said that she queued for one hour and one and a half hours to reach a stall: “I was moving and did not feel well with heat and stress”.
“A writer had a terror attack and had to leave,” he said.
Another participant, who uses Baisakhi, says he was “stood shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of other people” was trying to hand over a book to sign a writer, and he was knocked twice due to congestion.
Kelly Green35 -year -old Hannah said that she was disappointed because such incidents were “lifeline to connect with others”, especially for bookwlovers, and said that the incident should have been given a completely ticket.
While some negotiations were given tickets, entry into the shop was free – and the attendees said that reach for the general public was left open.
Amy White said, “Shopkeepers were still trying to browse the shelves pushed through queues, with some children or more elderly people who had no information about the incident,” said Amy White.
It was “impossible to move” through the shop, he said, and heat “was unbearable due to the amount of people”.
In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Booksellers stated that they would “review and learn this year to complete future events from this year”.
In another statement to the BBC, Waterstones stated that “an unexpectedly high polling led very long queues and some crowds around publisher tables and author signature”.
“Both the Central Events team and the shop team were in hand all over the floor, and our customers’ safety was as usual our top priority.”
It continued: “We fully appreciate that this was an unusually busy phenomenon, which unfortunately caused some of our visitors to feel uncomfortable or distressed.”
