TWO tall, dark, rich Europeans were kept in careful isolation in St Mary's Independent School, in Calne, after a rigorous five-hour journey from Leeds.

There were fears the guests, originally from Belgium, might crack while in transit, and then not even all the king's horses and all the king's men would be able to put them together again.

Staff and pupils spent Friday walking on eggshells, and at one point it was touch and go if the school's spring concert's star attractions would arrive on time to be raffled.

Fortunately however, the brace of enormous chocolate eggs had a comfortable journey in their bubble wrapped nests and arrived at the school unscathed, if fashionably late.

Each egg weighs ten kilograms and stood 24in tall on its solid chocolate base. The eggs were hand crafted by top French chocolateur Thierry Du Mouchel from luxurious Belgium milk chocolate made by leading chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut.

The eggs were decorated with rabbits, fish, shells and white chocolate eggs within the main eggshell, which were coated with coconut powder and shaded.

St Mary's catering manager of 12 years, Sandy Angus, said: "Earlier this week I wondered if they were ever going to get here.

"Firstly Thierry was only sent half a mould to make the eggs with, then in the middle of Thursday afternoon the chocolate wouldn't set.

"I was terrified. I just thought this isn't going to happen and I was thinking what could we do instead? My first words to my husband at 5.45am on Friday were 'my eggs are about to leave' and he said 'darling get a life'.

"But they are absolutely stunning. They're simply magnificent. We were terrified to lift them. I just want to rip off one of the decorative fish and eat it."

Monsieur Du Mouchel decided to make the eggs at his boulangerie and patisserie for free when the school told him they wanted to give them away as a raffle prize at the end of the concert, in aid of the school's charity The Haemophilia Society.

But Du Mouchel's were unable to find anyone to deliver the eggs, valued at £300 each.

Mrs Angus was at a loss until one of her regular food suppliers, 3663, from Severn Bridge, volunteered to deliver them.

When they arrived in Calne they were carefully lifted into Mrs Angus' locked office.

"With that amount of chocolate in an all girls school we had to make sure the eggs were kept under close guard," she said.

The idea for the eggs was inspired by the theme of the spring concert. She said the season was reflected in her buffet, which she has been preparing for the previous two weeks and includes spring colours and flowers.

Eight years ago Mrs Angus ordered two giant chocolate Easter bunnies for the centrepiece to the concert's buffet.