School cancels summer trips

The school has cancelled two trips following the death of Alex Foulkes

A North Yorkshire school has cancelled two overseas trips following the death of one of its students on a trekking holiday in the Italian Alps.

Harrogate Grammar School said it had decided to cancel two trips to France amid concerns for the "sensitivities" of those involved in the tragedy.

On Wednesday, the body of pupil Alex Foulkes, 17, was found close by a fast-flowing mountain river in the Val d'Aosta area.

The teenager was on a trekking expedition with classmates from the school when he was reported missing on Monday.

Chairman of governors Michael Webster said cancelling the proposed trips "would be in the best interests of everyone".

He added: "We were particularly concerned about the sensitivities of the staff and the families involved and those thoughts are uppermost in our minds."

The sensitivities of staff, pupils and family have been considered

Mr Webster confirmed that Alex's classmates had returned to Harrogate on Wednesday from Italy and were reunited with their friends at school on Thursday.

He added: "A counselling service has been arranged in conjunction with the Local Education Authority and is being offered to everyone in the school community."

Alex had arrived in Italy on Saturday for a 14-day trip with 11 other students from the school.

The sixth-former was crossing the river when he fell in.

The incident happened at Valgrisenche, near the French border, while the party was walking through picturesque foothills after a day at a mountain refuge.