A cancelled dream trip for children to see Father Christmas in Lapland has been saved.

The youngsters, many of them terminally ill, were waiting at Stansted Airport on Saturday when the bad news was broken to them.

But thanks to a Colchester travel agents they were due to fly on their way to the land of snow yesterday morning.

The trip, organised by Colchester-based estate agents Spicer Haart, was left in tatters by a fault in the plane's hydraulics.

Children were left crying, and adults furious about the cancellation.

The group of 40 were mainly children from hospices across East Anglia and Kent, and brothers and sisters of ill youngsters who had been given a chance to have seasonal respite care.

Staff at Colchester Travel in Crouch Street worked flat out on Monday morning to save the trip of a lifetime.

Managing director, John Bennett, said: "Everyone is going courtesy of the original airline and operators. Not without a small amount of help from Colchester Travel and sponsors Spicer Haart.

"We started off with a brick wall, and now we have overcome it. It was very, very difficult indeed. I have to say the power of the media has played an enormous part in this. I can't believe the amount of publicity.

"It would have been awful if it had not been a success. The fact it has been a success has given us enormous pleasure."

Spicer Haart donated £8,000 for the trip after organising a similar, successful one last year.

Trip co-ordinator Val Smith from the estate agents in Butt Road, said: "John Bennett was the one who contacted them and has been trying to sort it out for us. We have contacted the hospices and they have been trying to get hold of all the people.

"Most have said yes. They are all very excited about it."

Among the disappointed group on Saturday were two staff from the Colchester firm, mortgage manager Natasha Evans and fleet administrator Emma King.

Miss King was travelling with them yesterday, but Miss Evans could not make it.

Miss King said: "For me it's the children who I feel excited for and I'm pleased we are taking them. I'm just looking forward to seeing their faces when we get there."

Staff at Spicer Haart also raised £4,000 for Christmas parties and equipment for the hospices.

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