An escape room in Swindon has closed for good after staff say they were told they no longer had jobs and were left with unpaid wages. 

Escape Room HQ in Hobley Drive was opened by businessman John Tanner, who had previously lost two employment tribunals for unpaid wages for former firms - Enigma Rooms and Paranormal Electronics. 

He told the Adver that he was not at fault for both of these occasions, but just months after the Stratton escape room venue opened in February, three employees, two aged 17 and one aged 20, were told they no longer had jobs and said they were waiting on hundreds of pounds in lost wages.

After the Adver contacted the business for comment, two of the three employees were paid allegedly some of the money they said they were entitled to, but the other said they have not been paid and is going through employment advisory group ACAS to retrieve £569 owed to them.

Read More: Swindon escape rooms staff owed wages when they lost jobs

Following the story on the unpaid wages being published, the escape room was placed up for sale on Facebook Marketplace, but it seems the sale did not take place, as the building has now been vacated and all references to Escape Room HQ have been removed. 

A message on the website also says that the site has closed, but states that a new venue will be coming soon. 

It said: "It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to close our Swindon location. We thank everyone who visited and enjoyed our immersive escape rooms. 

"Escape Rooms HQ will be opening a new location in the near future and will be offering mobile escape room experiences as well. We will have further updates about our exciting future soon."

This comes after an employment tribunal upheld a claim from a former employee of £1,322.51.

Sky-Anne Haley, who brought the claim against the former company of John Tanner, Tanner Leisure Ltd, worked at axe-throwing venue Enigma Rooms in Chippenham.

A judge deemed the company had made unauthorised deductions from the staff member's wages and had failed to pay her holiday entitlement.

In February 2023, four employees of another of Mr Tanner’s businesses - Paranormal Electronics - were awarded a total of over £4,000 for unpaid wages at another employment tribunal. 

Escape Rooms HQ, and its then parent company Riddles Retreat, were transferred from John's ownership to his wife's Emma in April, around the same time that John was declared bankrupt, according to a posting in The Gazette.