A HEARTBROKEN schoolgirl who spent months fund raising for a dream children's trip to meet Santa was barred from boarding a plane to Lapland -- due to a passport mix up.

Instead of flying off for the Christmas trip of a lifetime, 11-year-old Jennifer West was left holding her packed bags as all her friends jetted off.

The tearful youngster was turned away at the departure gate at Manchester Airport moments before she was due to board the plane.

Jennifer, of Shelbourne Avenue, Bolton, was one of 12 girls from the Saturdays Dancing Club who had spent most weekends since May raising money for the visit.

The £16,000 they collected paid for themselves and sick, disabled or needy children and their parents to enjoy a one-day trip to Lapland to meet Father Christmas.

But as the 73-strong party boarded the 7am flight to the Arctic Circle yesterday, staff for Air 2000 told the Canon Slade pupil that she could not get on board the plane because of her passport.

She had her mother Jeanette Watkin's passport, which also carried her name.

Mrs Watkin, who works for Bolton Council's education department, said she had phoned the Post Office, who said the passport would be valid for Jennifer. There were no problems when Jennifer checked in her baggage two hours before the flight.

But staff in the departure lounge then broke the news to her that her mother -- who was still at home in Bolton -- would have to travel with her to validate the passport.

Mrs Watkin, aged 38, said: "If we had been told earlier I could have gone to the airport and paid to go as well.

"But they only phoned us as the plane was about to set off. I could hear Jennifer crying in the background."

She added: "She has worked so hard to raise money for this trip and we're really upset."

Jennifer said she had been looking forward to meeting Father Christmas and enjoying a sleigh ride, being pulled along by reindeer.

Close to tears, she said: "I've never been anywhere like that before."

Kind-hearted Jennifer had joined in fund raising with other members of the Saturdays Dancing Club.

She had given over much of her free time washing cars, packing bags at a supermarket and baking cakes to help raise the grand total.

Each member was promised they would go on the trip of a lifetime themselves and they could nominate a local needy youngster.

The Lapland trip suffered a setback when there was a mistake with the booking of seats, which meant an 11-year-old girl nearly missed out.

The tour operator, Transun, booked a bigger plane so Katie Power and her family could travel.

The UK Passport Service today said all children, from new-born babies to the age of 15, must have their own passport. Children can still travel abroad only if they do so with the passport holder.

Once a child reaches 16 he or she will require their own passport and their details must be removed from the passport holder's.

An Air 2000 spokesman said: "The rules have now changed and the authorities are very strict with passports.

"It is unfortunate and on behalf of the airline we would like to say how sorry we are, but our hands were tied -- it was because the mother was not travelling with her daughter."