AN independent school in Westcliff has closed its doors for the last time after shutting at short notice.

St Hilda's Independent Day School in Imperial Avenue closed unexpectedly at the end of term yesterday and pupils and parents returned this morning to say their final goodbyes as staff packed up their belongings.

Teachers and support staff were told the news after children went home at 12pm yesterday but most parents and pupils only heard the news when Thorpe Hall school posted on their Facebook page that they were organising a meeting to discus transferring pupils.

The school will go into liquidation at the end of the month.

The school, whose headteacher Susan O'Riordan has been there for 15 years, catered for boys and girls between the ages of three and 11, and just for girls aged 11 to 16 years.

There is currently no notification on the school's website that it has closed.

For the full story see Monday's Echo.