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A primary school has outraged parents by replacing the traditional Christmas nativity play with a modern story about two burglars.

The rewrite stars a pair of robbers who steal a manger containing rubies and emeralds in a daylight raid on a jewellery store.

Traditional Christmas carols will be sung in the production but with controversial new lyrics.

Some parents believe the play's theme is inappropriate for young children.

One couple have removed their child from the 'nativity' in protest at its violent content.

A concerned parent said: "I don't understand why the politically correct brigade has had to get rid of the traditional story anyway.

"I can't see that this gangster story is going to be better than something from the Bible.

"What are they going to have our children saying: 'Sorry Mary and Joseph, but there is no room in the cells?'"

Seven armed raids have taken place in the local area over the last six weeks.

The parent added: "I think it is a little tasteless to stage the play with all the recent reports of armed robberies."

(Image: Google)

The controversial play has been organised by teachers at Canvey Junior School in Essex.

Pupils aged between seven and 11 years old will take part in the production.

The stars of the show are two robbers named Bob and Bill who break in to a jewellery shop.

Songs that will a company the play include a radical rewrite of Away in a Manger.

It begins: "Away with the Manger/two robbers stole it."

The plot is a far cry from the traditional nativity play featuring Mary, Joseph and the three wise men.

But headteacher Janet Vaughan has defended her production saying: "It is very, very funny and nothing more than a light-hearted version of events.

"The outcome is the robbers are caught and banged to rights and the true meaning of Christmas comes across very strongly with a nativity at the end.

"It is nice to have a fun element to any sort of Christmas production and we always have a religious basis to it as well.

"It's nonsense to say the words are anything other than tongue-in-cheek and the children understand that."

The full reworked lyrics to Away in a Manger are...

Away with the manger,

Two robbers stole it,

They were called Bob and Bill,

And they were both big twits.

The story you will now hear,

Will amaze and astound,

As you see how these two fools,

Did much clowning around.

Our brilliant story begins,

Not very long ago,

A week before Christmas,

With the streets filled with snow.

The two twits decided,

To rob a jewellery shop,

Stealing rubies and emeralds

And avoiding the cops.

They knocked off the jewellers,

Though it was broad daylight,

They stole loads of diamonds,

To their utter delight.

But soon the two twits were,

In complete disarray,

As they'd given no thought to,

How they'd get away.