SCHOOLCHILDREN making their way home from a trip were held up by a fatal shooting at Los Angeles airport.

The 14 and 15-year-olds from St Augustine’s High School in Billington had just spent an incredible few days exploring sights on the US West Coast.

But a short time after the party arrived at the airport to travel home there was a shooting which saw a security guard killed in a busy terminal.

The school party was prevented from entering Los Angeles International Airport by security guards for their own safety.

And the group of 40 pupils and their teachers were delayed for around four hours.

Friday’s incident saw a man open fire, killing the unarmed security officer and injuring five others, sparking panic among passengers.

The gunman was wounded in the leg and face during a battle with police.

The pupils returned home a little later than planned on Saturday.

Headteacher Michael Wright said: “The trip was delayed on the return journey due to the tragic incident in Los Angeles International Airport in which a security officer was killed and several others wounded by a gunman inside the main terminal.

“They got home on Saturday after an approximate four-hour delay due to the aftermath and stepped-up security.”

The trip, arranged by the school’s geography department, saw pupils take in the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Yosemite National Park and Death Valley.

The trip allowed the pupils to study aspects of their GCSE geography course covering topics such as plate tectonics, rivers, and the impact of tourism on the natural environment.

Head of geography Steve Nolan said: “It was an incredible trip and our students got an awful lot out of the experience.”