A TAXI company said it is owed £5,500 after the sudden closure of a Bournemouth language school.

Ray Fitton from Air-n-Port Cars said he spent three months chasing invoices from SNT and it was a “horrendous” debt for this small family run firm.

The 43-year-old from Moordown said: “We transported the students to the host families. I got fobbed off with all sorts of excuses.

“I have been down to the school again the other day and it’s empty. There’s been no contact.”

SNT on St Peters Road suddenly closed on September 12 and the trade body English UK was been unable to contact the owner.

Mr Fitton said: “I really don’t think we will get any of the money back.

“It’s horrendous for us.”

The website for SNT describes the school was ‘SNT International College Limited’ but no such company is registered at Companies House.

The trade body English UK said the financial status of the school was unclear.

A spokesman said: “The owners seem to have gone away and left the school to collapse.

“This is a really poor way to treat their students and staff and people they owe money.”

A staff member told the Echo they were told the news about the closure on the previous evening.

They said: “An accountant came in and told us the business was not profitable and it was closing.

“There were about 15 staff at the school. I have had no contact with the owner since.”

English UK is using its emergency fund to find places at other language schools for the 80 SNT students who asked for help. A further 18 students have not replied to offers of help and another 20 had not yet arrived in the UK.

The Echo phoned and emailed SNT but did not get any reply.