Dozens of students have been left distraught after a West school was forced to cancel their "trip of a lifetime" at the last minute.

Sixty students from the Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar, Somerset, were due to fly out to Denver, Colorado, for a skiing trip early next month.

But with just weeks to go, the trip had to be cancelled because the tour operator increased the price by more than £100 per person, and then offered to take the party to an alternative destination - Sunday River in Maine – that had little actual snow.

The school booked the trip with Skibound in January 2010, but a problem only came to light when the school contacted the company earlier this month to check flight times.

In a statement yesterday the school said it had to "take the difficult decision to cancel the visit" and was "extremely disappointed in the way in which Skibound has failed to honour our booking and its response to the situation".

"The alternative destination is entirely unsatisfactory," the statement said. "Skibound has badly let down our young people, and we share their immense disappointment. All parents will receive a refund and we are currently in communication with the company regarding compensation."

Meanwhile families who had spent money on ski lessons, and skiing equipment, are equally disappointed.

Judy Body, whose son Christopher, 15, is among the disappointed Year 10 students, said: "I personally feel that they have been treated shoddily by Skibound.

"Skibound said they could get indirect flights into Denver but the group would have to be split up and the cost would be £1,400, which Skibound did not feel able to cover. The original price had been £1,280.

"Skibound sent out a letter in which they offered £20 compensation per pupil for change of resort, 10 dollars daily lunch voucher (meals were included in the cost of the trip) and a programme of evening entertainment.

"Now the school has cancelled I understand Skibound has agreed to refund all monies plus £8 compensation per student."

A spokesman for Skibound said they had offered the school alternatives and had not been made aware of its decision to cancel.

"We were very sorry to have had to advise the school that it has unfortunately not been possible to secure suitable flight arrangements for the group to travel to Denver together on the requested dates," he said.

It said rises in prices, including fuel and taxes had increased the costs of the Colorado destination and the large size of the party had also presented problems.

The alternative resort's hotel was an upgrade, and the snowmaking equipment meant that snow would be reliable throughout the ski season.