PARENTS and students have been left upset and disappointed after a school’s prom night had to be switched at the 11th hour.

Shelley College was due to host the end-of-school celebration for almost 300 students at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield on Friday, June 28.

But parents were told this week the event would have to be cancelled because the Giants game against Catalan Dragons had been brought forward 48 hours for Sky TV.

The stadium’s catering company, the Lindley Group, tried to make alternative arrangements but the event had to be cancelled.

With only three weeks to go the school was unable to find another venue on the same night.

The prom will now go ahead a week earlier, on June 21, at the Cedar Court Hotel in Wakefield.

Parents and students have spent hundreds of pounds on dresses, suits, professional photographers, limos and car hire.

Some now face losing deposits and have a race against time to make alternative arrangements.

Single mum-of-two Karan Orlos, 37, of Shepley , whose daughter Ellie-May Bullock, 16, will go to the prom, said parents were angry and upset.

“I think this sends out a terrible message to our young people,” she said.

“It’s like saying you have worked hard all year but you are being pushed aside because we’ve got a bigger and better deal.”

Karan, who also has a son Leonel , aged five, said she didn’t blame the school which had done all it could to re-arrange.

Karan had already changed the date of a work trip to Holland so she could see her daughter off.

Now the date has been changed she will miss out.

Ellie-May’s dad Matthew Bullock was flying over from his home in Spain specially for the weekend.

Karan daren’t tell him the date has been changed!

Ellie-May’s £179 designer dress – paid for with birthday money – wasn’t due to be ready until June 21 and Karan hopes it will now be completed on time for the earlier date.

“We wouldn’t usually spend so much money but this is a big occasion,” said Karan.

“We have worked hard as a family and Ellie-May deserves this.”

While Ellie-May could be without her dress her boyfriend Nick Ellis, 16, won’t have his hired suit either.

“It’s not going to be ready until June 26,” he said.

“Some girls have spent £300-£400 on their dresses and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Ellie-May said: “We have all been looking forward to this since year nine. Now it’s all been ruined.”

The Examiner understands the catering company tried to find alternative space at the stadium but no room could be found. The cost of hiring a marquee was too high.

The company even looked at hiring the recently-purchased George Hotel , which has been closed since January.

Shelley College sent a letter to parents this week which says: “We have spent a considerable amount of time trying desperately to get the stadium to reconsider (which they most definitely will not).”

As a result the school was forced to look elsewhere but no suitable venue was available on the same night.

The school decided not to make a booking into July as exams would be over and families would be going on holiday.

The letter adds: “As you can imagine we are extremely disappointed with the stadium and will not have any further dealings with them in the future.

“We sincerely hope that the students are able to re-arrange any bookings and appointments.”

General manager of the Lindley Group Anthony Hegney said in a statement: “It is with great regret that we have accepted cancellation of Shelley College’s 2013 leavers’ Prom which was due to take place on Friday June 28.

“Unfortunately the Giants v Catalans fixture has been moved by Sky TV, something which the stadium or the Giants have no control over whatsoever.

“This is a possibility of which we make every customer aware when booking a function.

“It is also clearly addressed in every contract, including the one signed by Shelley College.

“In such an instance we try our utmost to accommodate and compensate our clients.

“Such an agreement could not be reached with Shelley College and the client decided to cancel the event.”

The company said an initial letter sent out by the college to parents contained inaccuracies and had asked for a new one to be issued.

A spokesman for Shelley College said the school had “worked really hard” to find an alternative and had considered running the prom at school on the original date.

The spokesman added: “The change has been unfortunate but we can still look forward to a great celebration of our students’ time with us.”

A statement from the college added: “The Lindley group offered a number of possible alternatives none of which are practical, particularly given the short timescales involved.

“We were initially informed there was no possibility of a refund but then told that we could get our students’ money reimbursed if we wrote to cancel.

“This money was essential if we were to reimburse families or arrange an alternative venue, so we had no option but to withdraw”.