FAMILIES of pupils from a Cheddar school who were ‘extremely let down’ by a travel agent have been given compensation.

The Mercury reported how The Kings of Wessex School cancelled a ski trip for 59 year 10 students after the company changed the details at the last minute.

The school had booked the holiday to Colorado in America with SkiBound in January 2010, but was told earlier this month that the company could not honour the booking because of availability and the cost of flights.

Instead SkiBound offered to send the youngsters to Sunday River on the east coast of America – where there is little guarantee of natural snow in April.

Originally pupils were told they would receive �8 in compensation but have now been given compensation of �80 along with a complete refund for the cost of the trip.

In a letter to families, school bursar Chris Brown said: “Although it will be of little consolation, SkiBound has accepted that they should have kept us more informed about the circumstances throughout the build up to our planned departure and they have undertaken a review of their procedures to prevent this situation happening again.”