The owner of a hotel and wedding venue near Diss has pledged to pay back deposits and lost monies following its sudden closure.

Couples with bookings at the Brome Grange Hotel were left in limbo last week after it emerged that the business had ceased trading.

The owner of the 16th century building, off the A140, yesterday said that the hotel had been making a significant loss for the last few years and would be looking to turn it into housing.

Jessica Rogers, who bought Brome Grange six years ago, said the venue had not gone into receivership or liquidation and that 'all creditors will be paid'.

In a statement, she said: 'The hotel sustained a six figure loss last year, and similar for the previous year. In the current economic climate it is not viable to continue running it as a hotel and the owner has applied to planning for change of use to residential, and intends to live there.'

The hotel, which has 20 bedrooms, closed last Monday and couples who were due to get married and have their weddings receptions at the venue received letters saying that their bookings had been cancelled. They have been asked to apply in writing to get back their payments and deposits.

However, Chloe Ellis, of Bungay, who was due to marry Richard Hope at Brome Grange on September 10, said they were still waiting to be reimbursed with their �1,500 deposit.

She added that they had managed to find a new venue and a different wedding date at St Peter's Brewery in South Elmham in September, but had to book a new photographer, DJ, registrar, and send out new invites.

'I have got it in my head that we will never see that money again. I spoke to the manager last week and she was crying on the phone to me and we were both on the phone in silence,' she said.

Brome Grange is currently on the market with a �1.5m price tag. Agent Preferred Commercial claims that its annual turnover was around �300,000.

The hotel website has been temporarily suspended.