A theatre company which helps disabled children pursue their dream of performing on stage has been given an early Christmas present.

The Lavender Hill Mob Theatre Company, based in Hunstanton, decided to break with tradition and take their children to see a show in London ahead of the festive period.

The group - which formed in 2001 - was given donations from community groups to help parents pay for tickets to see Badjelly's Bad Christmas performed by the Chicken Shed Theatre Company.

But the trip was in serious doubt until Downham Market-based coach company D & H Harrod offered to take the group to the capital to see the show on December 21.

Sandra Hohol, from the theatre company, said: 'We usually put on a few shows in the run-up to Christmas but this year we decided it would be good for the children to sit back and watch a show.

'We decided to take our kids to the Chicken Shed in London because that's where our founder - Les Miles - was trained and saw how they work with disabled children.

'In nearly ten years of being a theatre company we have never done this but we almost had to cancel because it was going to be too expensive to get a coach.'

In a bid to solve the problem, Mrs Hohol appeared on West Norfolk radio station KLFM last week.

She continued: 'I appealed to their listeners for the whole week but by Thursday no-one had called so I thought we would have to cancel.

'But then on Friday I got a call to say D & H Harrod would take us down there and I was gobsmacked.

'We are all delighted to be going to London to see the show and it's going to stay with the kids for a long time.'

Paul Harrod, from the coach firm, met with some of the children in King's Lynn on Sunday.

He said: 'For a lot of the children this could be their only chance to go to London to see a show so we are delighted to help out.'