Pupils Stranded In Scotland

25 March 2013, 16:30 | Updated: 27 March 2013, 11:00

Pupils from a Wolverhampton school stranded on the Isle of Arran after wintry weather grips the country.

34 Sixth Form students from St Edmund’s and St Peter’s were on an annual joint Geography field trip to the Lochranza Centre.

The pupils are said to be safe and warm -as they remain stranded on the Isle of Arran off Scotland.

Britain's on course for a white Easter, with forecasters saying there's no end in sight to the dangerously wintry weather gripping much of the UK.

The Met Office has extended its level 3 cold weather alert until Friday 29th of March.

More than 100 schools across the West Midlands had to shut on Monday the 25th of March. Meanwhile flooding has been hitting the south of the region with a family having to be rescued from floodwater under a railway bridge in Droitwich.

The AA say a man and his son had got drenched trying unsuccessfully to push their car out of the water.

Statement from the School:

St Edmund’s and St Peter’s currently have 34 sixth form students [14 from S Peter’s and 18 from St Edmund’s] on the annual joint Geography field trip to the Lochranza Centre in Arran. With them are three members of staff: two from S Peter’s and one from St Edmund’s. Unfortunately, owing to the adverse weather conditions, it is not safe for them to undertake the return journey at the moment.

We have been in contact with Miss Jowett, from St Edmund’s, throughout the weekend and students’ spirits are high. After a power cut left the island without electricity or mobile phone reception, generators are now in place at the PGL Centre where the students are based so they now have heating, in addition to hot food and water; they are safe, fed and warm. One student was not very well this morning but she is in good hands at the local Doctor's Surgery.

Students have enough to eat and were photographed this afternoon unloading supplies from a Navy helicopter! They have even offered to help local elderly residents clear their drives. We are hoping that conditions will improve enough tomorrow to enable all the students to make the return journey, but the PGL staff have made it clear they will not make any decision which will put any of our students or staff in danger. We wish them a very safe return home.

Whilst we have ensured all of our parents have been kept up to date via text and phone calls, if you do have any concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact the school on 01902 558888.