Parents' reindeer rage over cancelled Santa flight
Last updated at 10:10 05 December 2006
A one-day dream trip to meet Santa Claus descended into turmoil after a flight to Lapland was cancelled at the last minute.
Police were called to Cardiff International Airport after parents began shouting abuse at staff. One furious mother even had to be forcibly restrained. She later received an official caution.
Another mother, Heidi Bennett, and her son Jacob, six, were among 179 passengers who paid £385 for the trip.
She said yesterday: "There were a lot of very upset children and some very upset parents too. It was horrible."
Her husband David added that the situation was handled badly by airport staff. He said they reported to the airport for check-in at 5am but news of the flight's cancellation was not announced until after 9am. He added: "My son is six and was not a very happy six-year-old," he said. "But he was not in as bad a state as some of the children there."
Airport spokesman Peter Phillips explained the flight on Sunday morning had been grounded because of a technical fault with the brakes. He said: "The captain and flight crew came down in person to explain the problem. But a small group of passengers became extremely aggressive with airport staff."
Initially parents were told it would only be possible to organise a replacement after Christmas. But yesterday First Choice offered to reschedule the trip for this Saturday or offer passengers a full refund.
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