Red carpet rolls for first debs in fraud case

THE red carpet was rolled out last night for the first of thousands of teenagers caught up in the €200,000 debs ball debacle.

After months of planning and a last-minute brush with disaster it was all smiles as 30 students from Hamilton High School in Bandon, Co Cork, and their partners, finally made it to their debs at the Silver Springs Moran Hotel.

It all almost ended in tears two weeks ago, however, when self-styled events organiser Pat Browne failed to pay the Cork city hotel a €24,920 booking deposit to secure a date for the function, and functions for 18 other schools.