'We booked a £99 stargazing break - all we got was an empty field'

When Samantha Cook booked a surprise break for herself and her fiancé, she was looking forward to a night of escapism from her "relentless" work schedule.

Scrolling through local glamping sites, an eye-catching £99 "stargazing dome" deal offered a futuristic pod with a transparent canopy and breathtaking views of twinkling North Yorkshire skies.

The events manager and mother-of-one promptly received booking confirmation messages from a firm called Star Domes, along with a key code and an address in the small village of Knayton.

All set for their unusual getaway, Samantha arranged childcare and set off from nearby Malton with partner Ryan Swain.

Nearing their destination, the excited couple were unable to find the dome and Samantha pulled up to a pub to ask for directions to what she assumed would be a local landmark.

Instead, the people in the pub apologised and told her she had been scammed.

"I was devastated, I burst out crying because I had Ryan in the car," the 39-year-old said.

"It was our last weekend until New Year that we had a full weekend together without work, so it was a bit gutting."

Samantha, who is pregnant, and Ryan are victims of a scam website which has left dozens of people looking at an empty farmer's field instead of views of the heavens.

"Sam was mortified, in tears and heartbroken," Ryan, 34, said.

"The website, looking back on it, looked really authentic and legitimate.

"Everything was in place and then obviously when you put the postcode in, it takes you somewhere."

Farmer Julian Potter is used to mystified holidaymakers turning up to one of his fields after encountering about 30 in the past six months.

"The effect on me is negligible but these poor people have come up here," he said.

Janice Kirby is another victim of the scam.

The 55-year-old from County Durham spotted the deal on social media and booked it immediately.

"I thought this would be a nice change because it was very luxurious and looked gorgeous," Janice said.

"I didn’t think any more of it and then a couple of days later, I realised I didn’t have any confirmation email."

North Yorkshire Police confirmed it had received a report of the scam from the owner of a nearby caravan and glamping site, which it had referred to Action Fraud.

A force spokesperson said anyone who had been affected should report the scam.

They added that people should double check the address, look for contact information and read the terms and conditions when booking something and handing over money.

Trust mark labels and online reviews should also be verified from a number of sources, the spokesperson said.