Happy ending for bus blaze pupils

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_west/8049043.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Pupils on a school trip which almost ended in tragedy when their coach caught fire are having some items lost in the blaze replaced by a rugby team.

The group, from Ysgol Craig y Don in Llandudno, Conwy, had collected autographed shirts and photos on a trip to meet the Ospreys team in Swansea.

But these were lost in the fire which broke out as their coach travelled along the M4 near Bridgend on Sunday.

Head teacher Marc Hughes said the pupils would be "jumping for joy".

Former Wales full-back Paul Thorburn, who is the strategic development manager at the Ospreys, gave Mr Hughes the good news on BBC Radio Wales.

Hopefully we can try to make amends for what turned out to be a disastrous trip Paul Thorburn, Ospreys strategic development manager

He said the team would invite the 19 pupils to a special rugby festival in north Wales in the summer and give them some new memorabilia.

"We are also going to be sorting them out with flags and goodie bags and we will try and do something special for some shirts to replace the ones that they have lost," he said.

"Hopefully we can try to make amends for what turned out to be a disastrous trip.

"I think we can all be thankful that it wasn't more tragic than it was and luckily there were no casualties."

The pupils, aged nine to 12, had met players including Wales stars Gavin Henson and Ryan Jones before watching the Ospreys beat Glasgow Warriors at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

Emergency procedure

One parent said some children had been saving for months for the trip and were thrilled when the players had signed shirts and posed for photographs.

But fire broke out during the return journey to north Wales while some children were sleeping.

Mr Hughes said there was black smoke coming through the floor and the emergency procedure was followed to get the children and 10 adults off the bus

No-one was injured but the coach was severely damaged in the blaze.

Mr Hughes described the Ospreys' offer as "fantastic".