WEST Wycombe caves have been slammed as "cheap, vulgar and in bad-taste" by a visitor who thinks the town is being cheated out of its own heritage.

William Tregonwell, a 50-year-old hotelier, was visiting from Barnstaple, north Devon, with his wife Josephine and children Amber, 12, and Jack, seven.

They planned the stop as part of a tour of cultural sites, which included visits to Windsor castle, Henley and the river Thames at Marlow.

He first visited the caves on a school trip back in the 1960's and had been looking forward to a return trip, to see what developments had been made.

But, he says having just been to see Stonehenge, the caves were a let-down and an eyesore by comparison.

Mr Tregonwell said: "It was dreadful like a horror. Cultured tours at famous sites usually involve headphones and a historical narrative. We paid our entrance fee and were greeted to this so-called cultural attraction by the sounds of Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Christmas and Jingle Bells. What a joke.

"It looks like they're still using the original waxworks, dressed in cheap halloween and Harry Potter masks from Woolworths.

"What would Sir Francis Dashwood think of it all?

"The cultural heritage and history behind the caves and hell-fire club is getting trashed. It's a great shame English Heritage doesn't take it over and do something worthwhile with it."

He added: "It must be absolutely humiliating for High Wycombe to be caught in a time-warp. The attraction needs dragging into the 21st century and turned into an educational visit not a cheap and tacky mockery."

Mary Hilder, estate secretary for West Wycombe Estate, which looks after the caves, said the Nightmare At Christmas display was a break from the norm. It follows the success of the halloween display, which drew large numbers and positive feedback.

The models were intentionally dressed differently and the usual historic audio content replaced by seasonal pop-music hits.

Mrs Hilder added: "We apologise if we offended anyone. This is the first adverse comment we've had about the display. We will be back to our usual historic offering in the New Year."