Worried parents whose children are scheduled to fly to northern Italy for a school ski trip later this month say they have been left in limbo after a travel firm refused to refund their travel costs if they cancel over coronavirus fears.

The trip, which cost £800 per pupil, leaves on March 21 and will take children from Ashgrove PS and Glengormley Integrated PS to Folgaria in northern Italy for a week of skiing.

At least 50 children are set to travel to the Italian Alps as part of the trip, which has been organised over the past year, and is now fully paid for.

According to one parent of a pupil at Ashgrove, both the school and the parents now want to cancel the trip because of the serious outbreak of coronavirus cases in the north Italy area.

However, the parent said, Dublin-based tour operators Top Flight said they will not offer a refund if anyone pulls their child out of the trip.

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"Although the school and families want it (the trip) cancelled, the tour operator is refusing to reimburse us as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance says that upon return from a category 2 risk area people only need to self-isolate if they show symptoms of the virus," he said.

"The tour company says we can cancel individually but we will lose the cost of the trip entirely. What family can afford to lose £800 over a position of ambiguity?"

There's no way I'm going to let my wife and myself take an extra two weeks off work - or subject my child to the possibility of catching the coronavirus Concerned parent

The school has already said that irrespective of whether the children show symptoms of coronavirus, they cannot return to school for a further two weeks of self-isolation.

"The teachers will also not be permitted to return to the school for a fortnight after their return," the concerned parent said.

The families of 50 pupils will also be affected, and parents will have to take two weeks off work to look after their children when they are not permitted to return to school.

"Ultimately, we're going to have to pull her out of the trip," the parent said. "We're going to have to wait right up to the 20th - she's supposed to fly on the 21st - and if the trip is not cancelled through common sense, we're pulling her off the flight.

"There's no way I'm going to let my wife and myself take an extra two weeks off work - or subject my child to the possibility of catching the coronavirus."

A spokeswoman for Top Flight Travel Agents said the company is working towards providing alternative options.

She said: "We are currently reviewing alternative options for them and this will be communicated to the principal early next week and thus communicated to parents. We will remain in constant contact with all schools due to travel in the upcoming weeks and keep them updated in relation to any revised travel plans."

Belfast Telegraph