BRIDES-TO-BE left in the lurch by the closure of a bridal shop have been reunited with their dream wedding dresses.

Around 50 women are expected to have reclaimed their dresses from The Loft bridal lounge and beauty salon in Bridge Street, Bolton, by the end of today.

They were being handed the dresses by bailiffs who opened up the shop yesterday and arranged appointments for 45 women to collect their dresses over the course of two days.

Hundreds of tearful women had contacted the bailiffs following the collapse of the company, which was still accepting deposits for dresses, shoes and beauty services less than a fortnight ago. It ceased trading last week after running up substantial debts, including more than £40,000 in rent arrears.

Dental nurse Zoe Young, aged 30, of Greenheys, Harwood, who is getting married in ten days time, left The Loft yesterday clutching the £1,000 wedding dress of her dreams.

She said: "I feel really relieved. I've been so stressed about it.

"I had to put another dress on reserve somewhere else but I had my heart set on this one. It's my dream dress."

Bride-to-be Alison Wakefield, aged 30, from Warrington, who works as an organiser for Homestart in Bolton and is getting married on Saturday, picked up five bridesmaids' dresses but they still had pins in and require alterations before the big day.

And there was no sign of £120 worth of chiffon wraps to go with the dresses.

She said: "I feel slightly relieved that at least I've got the dresses in my hands but I will have to find a seamstress now with just four days to go.

"I'm really, really angry that somebody can do this before such a special day which I've dreamt about since I was a little girl."

Miss Wakefield had praise, however, for bailiffs AD Shepherd & Son, who reunited her with the dresses.

She said: "I'm really grateful to them.

"They have been just fantastic and so helpful."

Dorothy Shepherd, of the Bury-based bailiffs, said: "In thirty years working as a bailiff this is the one job that has touched me the most.

"Returning the dresses has been one of the nicer sides of my work."

But she is still keen to find the owners of 22 dresses which are hanging in the shop with names attached but no contact details.

"Women who have dresses here need to contact us and provide copies of receipts or invoices so we can return them."

AD Shepherd & Son can be contacted by telephone on 07860 738240 or 07971 405110 or by fax on 0161 7629183.