YOUNGSTERS at a local school had a dramatic taste of the reality of war, when they were told their dining room had been destroyed.

Pupils at St.Richard’s Preparatory School, Bredenbury had a most unusual experience at the end of Friday assembly, on October 3, when they suddenly heard sounds of battle and their dining room was no more.

Smoke billowed into the assembly hall and the school's Fire Officer ordered an immediate evacuation of the school.

Pupils were escorted to the safety of a refugee camp and feeding centre in their external Games Hall where a camp had been erected and soup and lunch was served by a group of strangers, who were in fact all volunteers from St.Joseph’s Parish, Bromyard. Pupils then ate in stunned silence on mats on the floor.

The surprise exercise for the pupils was part of the school’s fundraising day for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) which is currently involved in helping Syrian refugees who have fled to Turkey. The surprise element of the experience was to help the children understand the suddenness and uncertainty of life in a warzone and refugee camp. Georgie Powell, a Year 6 pupil said: “It was quite scary at first, when the smoke came into the hall as none of us knew what was happening. Later, some of us were refused apples in the refugee camp and made to leave because we had the wrong colour of hair! This showed us what is was like being helpless and at the mercy of others - we got the apples in the end but I would hate to be a refugee.”

This imaginative exercise had a big impact on the children and a total of £320 was donated for CAFOD.