X Factor finalist Olly Murs undertook a 23-hour drive to Spain for a Sutton children’s charity after clouds of volcanic ash caused his flight to be cancelled.

Mr Murs was due to perform at the second annual gala ball in Marbella for the Sutton-based Emily Ash Trust, which supports children being treated for cancer, including those at The Royal Marsden Hospital.

Afraid guests might ask for their money back if he was unable to perform, Mr Murs agreed to undertake a gruelling 46-hour round trip to Marbella by car.

He said: “There is no way I’m going to let the charity down.”

By posting details of the event on his Twitter page he also managed to fill the 40 empty spaces that had been left as a result of guest’s flight cancellations.

Although Mr Murs arrived only an hour before the start of the ball, committee member Mark Rolph said: “He had the whole place on it’s feet.”

The ball raised in excess of £30,000 for the trust.

Back in Sutton, nearly 200 teachers and 400 pupils were unable to return to school after the Easter break after flight cancellations left them stranded overseas.

A spokeswoman for Sutton Council said: “A year 4 teacher from Culvers House Primary, currently stuck in Canada, is emailing over daily briefings for the supply teacher taking her class, including notebook computer files for use on the interactive whiteboard for each lesson.

Ian Birnbaum, strategic director of children, young people and learning services at Sutton Council, said: “I can reassure parents worried about school closures following the Icelandic volcano eruption that all schools in the borough remain open.

“Although a number of teachers in the borough have been unable to return to work after the Easter holidays due to the flight cancellations, the schools are coping well under these difficult circumstances and have brought in supply teachers to cover lessons.”

Parents are advised to check suttonlea.org/opencheck for up to date information.