ROYAL OPERA HOUSE ENDS CHEAP TICKETS FOR SCHOOL PARTIES

London's Royal Opera House suffered a major public relations blow yesterday after announcing the end of cheap opera tickets for school parties, in a bid to reduce costs by up to pounds 300,000. The news comes only days after fierce criticism that pounds 55m of National Lottery money to restore the Covent Garden building was a subsidy for the well off.

Helen Anderson, ROH spokeswoman, said: "Some people may regard the timing of the announcement as unfortunate, but it is an honest coincidence rather than a cover-up. The decision was made before any decision on the application for lottery funding was known."