ASPIRING detectives were horrified when their murder mystery dinner party was taken over by the country's most feared hotelier - Basil Fawlty.

The guests paid £32.50 to become sleuths for the night at Pinchinthorpe Hall, a 17th Century country house hotel, near Guisborough, east Cleveland.

But instead of solving a murder they were faced with the antics of Basil, Sybil and Manuel at a Fawlty Towers theme night.

One dissatisfied customer said: "I am disgusted. We were totally misled.

"This evening was a joke and for the money it was disgraceful. We were told we couldn't speak to the boss because he had gone out."

Colette Timmons, who runs the Limelight Company in Scarborough, whose actors performed at the event, said the company had been booked to do a Fawlty Towers night.

"Why the event was advertised as a murder mystery is beyond a joke," she said.

"People enjoyed the evening, but I feel sorry for the guests."

Concerns were also expressed that there were no barriers around a firework display meaning guests could approach lit explosives.

Pinchinthorpe Hall's owner, George Tinsley, who was away on Saturday night apologised for the mix-up.

He said: "I am very sorry for the misunderstanding.

"When the acting company said they would be doing a Fawlty Towers theme we thought it would be a murder mystery around that theme."

He has offered tickets for a free murder mystery evening to everyone unhappy with the event, or a £15 voucher for the hotel.

Mr Tinsley said: "I shall be looking into what happened with the fireworks.

"I know they should be put at certain distance from the public."