Ref. 28203-22A GROUP of 250 children are hoping for a fairy godmother after a mix-up kept them away from a pantomime.

The children had been due to see the New College pantomime, Billy and the Magic Drum, yesterday.

Each child had paid £2 for a show ticket and the school planned to take them on five coaches.

When they failed to turn up, school bursar Sylvia Haines says she contacted the coach company and said she had booked, only to be told: "Oh no you

didn't."

The disappointed children had to spend yesterday afternoon watching videos instead.

Now they are pinning their hopes on seeing another pantomime, anywhere in the Swindon area, before Christmas.

But that will mean a kind person, group of people or theatre being willing to help out.

Mrs Haines said: "They were really looking forward to seeing the pantomime and they are so disappointed.

"The children had paid £2 each to cover the cost of the tickets.

"The coaches were due to arrive at noon and return the children to the school at 2.45pm.

"When they didn't arrive, we contacted the company but they said they had no record of our booking, even though we had had several telephone conversations with them.

"They are our regular coach company and we have never had problems with them before."

Mrs Haines said the school had thought the coaches were booked and that it would be charged a total of £600.

The pantomime closes on Friday, and it would be difficult to arrange for the children to get to a performance before then.

She added: "What we are trying to do now is put an appeal out.

"We want to see if anybody out there in Swindon can come and help us out by inviting the children to their pantomime or perhaps helping them to pay for tickets if they had to go to a more expensive show.

"Maybe if we can raise enough money, we can send them to see something like the Wyvern Theatre pantomime.

"Can someone help us to put the smiles back on their faces?"

Matthew Clift, head of drama at New College, said he and the cast were as disappointed as anybody with what had happened, and would do all they could to get the children to an alternate performance.

Nobody at the coach company, Kinch of Malmesbury, was available to comment.

Anybody who feels they are able to help the children should call the school on 01793 535792.

Barrie Hudson