TWO hundred schoolchildren nearly missed out on their Christmas dinner when the water supply was cut off an hour before lunchtime.

Staff and pupils at Chippenham's St Paul's Primary School faced Christmas dinner disaster when at 10.45am they were notified the mains pipe in Oaklands had broken.

Staff turned on the taps to build up a stockpile of water before it ran dry, but the water was brown.

So quick-thinking headteacher Bob Buckley jumped into his car and headed for Safeways to buy back-up supplies.

"I headed off to Safeway with my wallet in my pocket, and I told two ladies on duty I was from a local primary school and what had happened," said Mr Buckley.

"They told me to just start filling up my trolley and they would sort it out."

The superstore generously made the 57 two-litre bottles of water a Christmas donation to the school.

"We had more than enough to give the children a drink. It's not just the money it's the way it happened. They were very good," said Mr Buckley.

A spokesman from Safeway said they were pleased they could help out the school in an emergency.

"We are always happy to help out in the local community in whatever way we can," she said.