Shropshire school calls in fraud squad over £150,000 paid to holiday firm
A school in Shropshire has called in police following the disappearance of about £150,000 paid to a tour operator for a dream Caribbean sporting holiday for pupils.
One parent alone is understood to have lost £10,000 after the planned Wrekin College trip to Barbados had to be scrapped.
The money had been paid up front to a tour operator for the cricket and netball holiday but none of the necessary bookings were made.
A total of 46 pupils, some of the members of their families and six supervising teachers were all due to have jetted out on April 7 for the 12-day luxury get-away.
They had each paid £1,800 to the operator for the trip, either directly or through the school, although some of the family members making up a supporters group are understood to have paid more to upgrade travel and accommodation arrangements.
The fee-paying school reported the matter to police this week after failing to get the money returned and its solicitors are now to sue the operator in an effort to recover it.
Wrekin College has, in the meantime and as a gesture of good faith, paid all the pupils, staff and family members affected a refund of £1,800 each.
A school spokeswoman confirmed the planned trip would not now go ahead, saying: "It is a great disappointment to Wrekin College that this school trip has had to be cancelled.
"The tour operator organising the trip had failed to make the necessary bookings. A full refund of the tour cost is now being sought."
She said the matter was referred to police, after consultation with parents, and to the school's solicitors.
The school reported the matter to the Action Fraud central reporting centre on Monday.
It will now be forwarded to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau based with the City of London Police.
