CHRISTMAS has arrived early for an all-singing all-dancing primary school which has been crowned winners of a festive song contest for the third year running. Eight pupils from The Abbey School were crowned winners of the Maltings Christmas Carol Contest

CHRISTMAS has arrived early for an all-singing all-dancing primary school which has been crowned winners of a festive song contest for the third year running.

Eight pupils from The Abbey School were crowned winners of the Maltings Christmas Carol Contest last week with their song Christmas Time Here in St Albans.

Clad in festive Santa outfits, the children took to the stage to perform their festive song and dance routine at the final showdown of the competition at the Maltings Arts Theatre on Wednesday.

Their song received praise for its upbeat tempo, local references and fun attitude from the four judges - St Albans Mayor, Cllr Chris Oxley, Maltings manager Phil Corrigan, Maltings Arts Theatre manager Lucy Godfrey and Herts Advertiser reporter Aimee Brannen.

But the group - made up of Lydia Pazzi-Axworthy, Charlotte Griffiths, Jennie Walton, Emily Morrison, Daniel Collins, Sophie Lonsdale, Ellie Meadows and Ella Beaumont - were up against fierce competition from St Peters School and the Lost and Found adults choir from the Kings Community Church in Hatfield.

In fact, Mr Corrigan was so impressed with all the talent that on the night he decided to donate �250 to the runners-up and added another �250 to the existing �500 prize fund.

The Abbey School has now recorded its song onto CD and performed it at the Mayor's Christmas Carol Concert outside the Civic Centre in St Albans last Sunday.

The competition is in its third year and was organised by the Maltings Shopping Centre with support from the Herts Advertiser.