ONE hundred French schoolchildren heading on a trip to the Scottish Highlands were prevented from entering the UK by British border guards, French media has reported.
La Voix du Nord, a daily newspaper based in Lille, reported that a group of fifth grade children from Saint-Winoc college in Bergues were turned away over a mistake on their travel documents.
The UK Government website states that French children on a school trip can enter the UK as long as their school is registered with the French Ministry of Education and they have filled out a “France-UK School Trip Travel Information Form”.
Vincent Delerue, the director of the college, told La Voix du Nord that, after entering the Netherlands, they were blocked from going further by UK border guards because identity card and passport numbers had been entered “in the same section [on the form], rather than in their respective sections”.
He went on: "The Dutch tried to negotiate with their British counterparts, but nothing. We are very disappointed for the students, because it is a lot of organisation and time.
“We did everything according to the rules, but we made this small mistake.”
The families of the children – who were aged around 10 and 11 – had each paid €500 for the trip to Scotland, which the school will reportedly refund.
One parent told La Voix du Nord that her child had been "disgusted" by the incident.
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
