OUTRAGED parents are blaming the council for losing thousands of pounds from an end-of-term school trip cancelled because of coronavirus.

Mums and dads at Port High were shocked to be told in a letter that they would each lose their £170 deposit for the holiday - amounting to £8,500 in total - because the school had refused to make the final payment to the travel company.

Fifty second year pupils from the school were all set to go to France together with teachers.

But prior to school closures education bosses announced all trips would be cancelled because of the pandemic.

In a letter sent from the head teacher to the parents of pupils signed up for the French trip, they were told that the council had instructed the school not to pay the balance of the bill.

One angry parent, who did not want to be named, said: "To me it is straightforward - to get all the money back you need to pay what is owed.

"Not doing this put the school in breach of contract and that is why they lost our money.

"This is all the council's fault, not the travel company.

"The council have lost our money.

"Everyone knows you have to pay the full amount so you don't lose your deposit.

"There are a lot people out there who are really in need of that £170 right now.

"There are parents who really had to make sacrifices and some of the kids had saved up themselves.

"School trips are expensive, this one cost £450.

"It isn't fair and they could have at least consulted us.

"I think the council has wrongly advised the school and now we have lost our money.

"There are other schools in the same boat, so you wonder how many thousands of pounds of people's money they have lost."

Parents who had paid the full amount for the trip were refunded a sum of £280 instead.

The Tele recently reported that the local authority was facing problems clawing back money for trips.

In a letter sent to parents Port High head Stuart Clark said the travel agent had insisted that the final payment should be made to them.

The school asked them to consider a delay to the trip to avoid losses but this was refused and the travel agent insisted on the full payment.

Mr Clark's letter added: "After careful consideration we decided this would not be a prudent approach."

In further correspondence with parents the school confirmed that they had sought advice from Inverclyde Council and took the decision to lose the deposit.

It is understood a number of other schools have similarly lost out after taking advice from the local authority's legal department.

The council's position was followed in full by Port Glasgow High.

Schools were told to withhold any additional payments and refund any money held which had not been paid to the company.

The council's insurance doesn't cover the coronavirus.

Inverclyde Council told the Tele that this particular trip with Port Glasgow High was problematic.

An Inverclyde Council spokesperson said: “We share the frustration with families who have suffered financially from cancelled school trips.

“None of us could have foreseen the circumstances which led to the cancellation of trips.

“The government advice to schools at the time was to cancel trips.

"That remains the case.

"Advice to schools has consistently been to pay no further money for trips to avoid a potentially greater financial loss and to seek reimbursement of sums already paid.

“Travel operators involved with other schools in Inverclyde have acted in good faith and either offered a full refund, partial refund or credit note.

“The situation with Port Glasgow High School is different and more complex.

"The travel operator involved insisted that the trip in question would go ahead as planned, even though the government advice was to cancel all trips, and [they] would not offer any postponement for the trip or payments.

“The company has refused to refund deposits and has declined further discussions with council officers to find an amicable solution.

"The council is doing all it can to try and resolve the matter

“The council’s insurance does not provide cover for Covid-19.

“The council has acted and will continue to act in the best interests of pupils and their families.”