Christmas: Concert comes late after school rat problem

Pupils performing their Christmas concert in January

Pupils have been given a second chance to perform their Christmas concert after it was cancelled due to a rat infestation.

Eirias High School in Colwyn Bay, Conwy county, cancelled the event in December after reports of the problem in abandoned toilets.

The issue was resolved but not in time for the concert to go ahead.

So mince pies and Christmas carols returned for one night in January instead.

"The timing of the closure was unfortunate given the activities we had planned for the week before Christmas, notably the concert," said Eirias head, Sarah Sutton.

"The pupils and staff had worked so hard ahead of the performance, so we are pleased it was able to go ahead, giving everyone the opportunity to celebrate belatedly and look ahead with positivity."

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The hall was full, she added, and the students' performance was "superb".

"It really showcased their talent for singing and playing a wide range of instruments... the response from the audience was fantastic."

The audience's reaction to the concert was "fantastic", the headteacher says

Ms Sutton said the mince pies for the cancelled event in December were donated to local care homes and money made from the concert this month went to the school's breakfast club.

"We were pleased to be able to spread some festive cheer and give back to our community during what was a challenging few days," she said.

"We again apologise for the inconvenience over the winter break and thank the students, parents, carers and staff for their support."