The demise of a circus just days after opening in Swindon has left its stars out of work and out of pocket with one acrobat now looking for work as a lorry driver.

The Evening Advertiser reported last week how recent high winds proved too strong for Circus Fantazia's big top.

The blustery conditions caused £70,000 worth of damage, forcing owner Mark James to close down on Sunday, March 21 for safety reasons.

Luckily there was no one in the big top at the time, which had been pitched in Blunsdon behind The Little Chef, since March 10. Now the acts, as well as Mr James, have to start from scratch.

Trapeze artist Amanda Sandow, whose act incorporated walking upside down across the circus roof, has travelled to Kings Lynn, in Norfolk, to find work as a lorry driver.

Amanda, 39, who performs with her horses Frosty and Steele, said: "It's been really difficult as the horses are my top priority

"All the circuses are full now so finding work is impossible. I passed my HGV exam so I'm going to look for work doing that for a while."

Tweedy the Clown, whose real name is Alan Digweed, had become a familiar face to Swindon audiences following his role in the Wyvern Theatre's Goldilocks and the Three Bears pantomime and was set to star again in Circus Fantazia.

Luckily for him he has been snapped up by rival troupe Giffords Circus, and will be performing in Minety and Marl-borough in the summer.

Tweedy, who is married with a two-year-old daughter Willow, said: "It's a big shame for everyone involved but we had to make sure safety came first.

"I'm lucky that I've got work with Giffords but that ends in August, whereas Fantazia was due to run until October.

"I helped pack up and left on the Monday. It was quite depressing because people didn't know what they were to do next."

Mr James said he was absolutely gutted by the turn of events. "The weather was horrendous," he said.

"The metal bar that holds the tent roof on had become all twisted and we had no choice but to close down for the safety of the public. There's no way we could keep the tour on the road."

A few tickets had been bought in advance on a no refund basis but most people had bought them on the door.

Mr James added: "I am having talks with my insurers about what will happen. At this stage I just don't know."

Many people were left disappointed by the early closure.

Neil Neighbour, of Rodbourne Cheney, had six tickets for himself, his wife, two children and their grandparents. He said: "We were pretty lucky because we booked ours on a credit card, but we were annoyed we couldn't see the show."

Swindon was the recently-formed troupe's first venue on a 10-month tour.

The schedule had included performances at Marlborough, which should have started yesterday. The Evening Advertiser ran a competition to see the circus but many were left disappointed. Compensation prizes have been offered as an alternative for those who did not see the performance.

Alex Emery