Confusion reigned at the Fairmont Southampton yesterday as a giveaway was called off at the last minute.

Hundreds jammed up against the entrance, threatening a crowd crush, and those assembled in hopes of walking away with furniture and appliances from the shuttered hotel were turned away and left empty-handed.

“This is not safe for anyone, so we’re not doing it,” a security guard announced at 11.20am after staff called a meeting inside.

The doors were set to open at noon, but the security guard said: “Everybody, please leave. This is not our fault. Understand, we did this for good intentions.”

A police officer at the scene confirmed later that the event had been cancelled, saying: “It was just too disorganised."

Gencom, the owner of the hotel, announced last week that it was giving away the unwanted contents of the property ahead of a refurbishment project, which is due to start this month.

Members of the public were invited to remove all guestroom furniture and fittings on a “first come, first served” basis.

A hotel spokeswoman said later that although preparations for the giveaway had been made, including hiring extra security staff, the public response had been “overwhelming”.

By 11am, traffic packed the road leading to the resort down to the Fairmont Southampton entrance, with more vehicles backed up on South Road.

Up near the top of the queue, one of the early arrivals, Dennis, said he had shown up hours before hoping to get a mattress and a dresser for his daughter.

“The early comers were all right,” he said. “But everything got chaotic. Everybody grouped up.”

According to witnesses at the scene, about 1,000 people may have been at the giveaway, some of whom arrived before dawn in the hope of snapping up a bargain.

Security teams were on hand to help supervise the event.

The crowd were orderly, and only a few shouts of anger could be heard as the scene became chaotic.

The numbers and the enthusiasm led to the multitudes being pushed up against the entrance, with one reporter at the scene noting that a crush was beginning to form.

Seniors were among the hopefuls lined up. A person in the queue said: “Security told people to go back, but we couldn’t.

“I saw one lady shaking who had to sit down.”

A man at the hotel entrance said everything was initially orderly as a line of people formed. However, he said a pastor had arrived to give a prayer, and after it was finished, a surge of people moved towards the front door.

The man said: “It was like a stampede. Everyone came forward after the prayer.”

Mark Anderson, who said he arrived at 5.40am to collect a television for an elderly friend, said he had tried to speak with security.

“This is what you get,” he said, acknowledging there was “blame on both sides”.

He said it risked turning into “mayhem”.

Barbara, who had queued since 7am, said: “They should have had tickets or lines for different items. There are people who came from St George’s who have been here since 7am or 8am and hired trucks.”

The woman next to her said the crowd were “like Cup Match”.

Several people leaving the premises said they were told the open house was postponed until next week.

In response to that news, one witness said: “I do not feel like risking my life next week. This could have been a stampede.

“You’ve got people living in poverty who took the day off for this, and now how can they tell their boss they’re going again next week?”

Another woman near the front of the line said: “I’m not coming back. This is crazy.”

Several motorists were also left frustrated, saying they had organised trucks especially for the collection, only to be turned away.

A delivery truck driver said he had lost a full day's work as a result of the cancellation.

He said: “There were a lot of jobs lost today. I cancelled all my other jobs to come here. I was hired by several people. I can't ask them for money as I haven't delivered anything.”

But some people did not leave empty-handed, picking up pieces of garden furniture as they left.

One woman said: “They said if it’s outside, you can take it.”

The crowd were gradually dispersing by the time the hotel was meant to open at noon, with police breaking the news of the cancellation and asking people to leave.

One officer said there had been no stampede or major incident, but people had not followed security instructions to form an orderly queue.

A spokeswoman for the hotel said: “Today marked the continuation of Fairmont Southampton’s community outreach initiative, offering free distribution of used items from the hotel to the public.

“The turnout far exceeded the hotel’s expectations, reflecting the significant need within the community. Though full preparations were in place including additional security, interest in the event proved to be overwhelming. Citing safety concerns, the police advised shutting it down.

“The hotel team remains committed to supporting the broader community by making available to the public any remaining items no longer required.

“Further updates and a revised plan will be communicated as soon as it is finalised.”