St Nicholas Special School in Chippenham has come fourth in a competition to win a house for its students.

The school had hoped to win a brand new home worth £250,000 in the competition, run by Persimmon Homes, but today discovered they had narrowly missed out.

Supporters have been voting for the school in their droves for the last two months.

St Nicholas, which takes on children with severe physical disabilities, would have been allowed to sell the property in Andover and pocket the cash.

They had then hoped to buy their own house close to the school to teach children how to live as independently as possible.

But Beverley Crone, who is a school governor, said they were pleased to have gone so far in the competition.

“The charity that won was started by a mum and dad who lost their child to leukaemia,” she said.

“They will use the house as somewhere parents can take their seriously-ill children, and they have already raised £250,000 themselves.

"That’s a truly wonderful cause, and we’re all very happy for them.”