A DAY out in London for three Rainford High pupils and their teacher turned into a farce when they visited 'top people's store' Harrods.

The trio - Jenny Ratcliffe, Alison Tinsley and Jenni Hunter, all from Eccleston - were in the capital to pick up a certificate which the school had won for its efforts on Newspaper Day earlier this year.

But what should have been one of the day's treats for the trio turned sour when they were ordered out of the shopping emporium because they were wearing shoulder bags.

They then asked if they could leave the bags in the store's luggage room but were told that they still couldn't enter because school parties were not allowed in.

After a bit of gentle persuasion, the girls and English tutor Paul Forrester, eventually persuaded the store to let them in. But unimpressed by Harrods' snooty attitudes, the school party then went to Hamleys the famous toy store, where they had a whale of a time and left with plenty of goodies.

After Hamleys it was down to the serious business of collecting the certificate which had been awarded to the school after taking part in a Newspaper Day organised by The Times Education Supplement.

The pupils had to write and produce a school newspaper in one day.

Said Jenny Ratcliffe: "This wasn't as easy as it sounded. At the end of the day, the computer rooms were a mess and everyone was panicking about not finishing the paper on time - which we did, just."

The presentation ceremony took place in the House of Commons and while they were there the school party popped in to see new St Helens North MP Dave Watts.

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