CHILDREN and staff of St Anthony’s School in Cinderford paid an emotional farewell on Friday as it closed its doors for the last time.

The school has been shut on the orders of the Department of Education despite a heartfelt campaign by pupils, staff, parents and the community.

Each of the pupils will have a memento of their time at St Anthony’s in Flaxley Road thanks to clients and staff at the Crossroads Care Active Living Centre in Foxes Bridge Road.

They spent more than 100 hours hand-stitching ‘memory bears’ from pieces of old St Anthony uniform,

It was the idea of Tara Tingle, who works at the centre and had two children at St Anthony’s – but who doesn’t sew.

Tracy Jones, an active living support worker at the centre, said: “It was a lovely project and brought the school and centre closer together.

“We’d love to do it again because it was such a lovely project,” she added.

“It’s sad the school is closing but it was lovely to see the little one’s faces.”

Lily Christopher, who was one of the pupils who collected the bears from the centre, said: “They are amazing.”