A SCHOOL sent devastated pupils donning fancy dress home after cancelling their annual Halloween costume celebrations.

       Northside Primary School in Workington, Cumbria, left youngsters "gutted" when they were sent packing dressed up in their spooky outfits.

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       Northside Primary School sent home around 20 students dressed in their Halloween costumes Credit: Google maps

       The school traditionally allows kids to wear costumes on their final day before half-term, but scrapped the fun this year.

       They wrote to parents to inform them pupils had to wear their regular uniforms instead - but some missed the messages.

       The school insisted they had organised "other activities" to make up for the change of plans.

       Yet the unaware parents painstakingly put hours into their children's costumes, before they were left inconsolable and sent home from the school.

       Around 20 schoolchildren turned up in full costume and were crushed by the rule change.

       One mum said: "More than 20 children got sent home. They were gutted, they had all made a massive effort.

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       She told the Cumberland News and Star: "They missed out last year because they weren’t in school with lockdown and obviously this year with everybody settling back into school.

       "All we wanted was for our kids to celebrate and I don’t think that kids going into school in a Halloween costume is preventing them from learning and receiving education.

       "It was important this one year for the kids to have fun."

       Other parents hit out at the rule change and said the tradition had been going since they attended the school.

       "Some of these mothers who I am speaking on behalf of, they went to Northside when they were younger as well and they have done this every single year, but this headteacher has just started this January," the mum-of-two continued.

       Northside Primary School headteacher Joanne Lloyd said: “A message was sent home earlier in the week advising parents that we wouldn’t be having Halloween fancy dress this year as other activities were planned with the children.

       COSTUME ROW

       “Some children did still attend in fancy dress and parents were asked to return them home so they could change into uniform. Some of them did and joined in their class activities.

       “We’re sorry some children are missing out on the final day of the half term. I will be contacting parents to try to resolve this communication issue at the earliest opportunity.”

       But another mum hit out at parents on a Facebook group and said they should have abided by the school's request.

       "It's great when you get instructions, then don't follow them, then blame everyone else because you didn't follow instructions," she wrote.

       "Maybe the parents need to go back to school."

       The school says it provides a "warm, safe environment" for pupils and that "our children are at the hear of every decision we make".