The pupils expected to watch Ghana play the Czech Republic

Some 40 children from North Bromsgrove High School travelled to Germany to watch Saturday's game between Ghana and the Czech Republic.

But they were told by Shropshire-based tour operator Activ4 on the day of the match that a ticket agent had disappeared along with their tickets.

They are among nearly 400 students from across the UK affected by the mix-up.

The children from North Bromsgrove had paid �400 each for the trip and had been due to watch the Czech Republic play Ghana in Cologne.

'Great regret'

Andrew Mackereth, deputy head at the school, said they only discovered there were no tickets on the day of the match.

"The only World Cup experience they've had so far was watching England v Trinidad and Tobago in a Travelodge and watching another game in a Cologne town square on Saturday night," he said.

Activ4 said police in the UK and Germany were investigating what appeared to be an international ticket scam.

A spokesman for the firm, which is based in Shrewsbury, said: "It is with great regret that our business and therefore our customers have been made victim of an international ticket scam for the Fifa World Cup 2006.