YOUNGSTERS cheated out of their chocolate by mean council officials have received an apology - thanks to the Argus.

Ten-year-old Liberty Morgan and half-sister Lucy Bennett, 15, were refused 30p change from a £3 voucher at the King Alfred Leisure Centre, Hove.

A swim cost them a total of £2.70, but centre staff refused to refund the difference, even though the £3 voucher is the cheapest available.

It meant Liberty, of Church Street, Portslade, and Lucy, of Lullington Avenue, Hove, were unable to afford chocolate while they waited to be collected by Liberty's mum, Helen.

Liberty said: "I think it's stupid. They should change their rules so you get the change." Within minutes of a phone call from the Argus, Brighton and Hove Council backed down.

Mrs Morgan said: "When Iarrived to pick them up, Liberty and Lucy said they couldn't use the full £3 of the voucher. I just couldn't believe that they could be so mean.

"It's upsetting for the children. Thirty pence means something to them.

"I could have given them the money but that's not as much fun as a voucher. There's nothing on the voucher to say you can't get any change and I wasn't told when I bought them from the desk at the start of the summer.

"The voucher system is a wonderful idea, but I think people are put off by the fact that people are short-changed. This is an appalling state of affairs."

A council spokesman said: "Mrs Morgan is right and we're sorry to have upset them. Our policy dates back to a time when you couldn't get change on gift vouchers in shops. These days you can and we'll change our policy too.

"To cut down on red tape, our contract manager Steve Dixon is going to refund Mrs Morgan's 30p from his own pocket. We'll also send her some vouchers for some free swims."

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