Family is torn apart as mother is forced to remain in China

A FATHER revealed yesterday how he made the heartbreaking decision to leave his wife in China as his family was forced apart by coronavirus.

Jeff Siddle and his daughter Jasmine, nine, are set to take a flight out of Wuhan arranged by the Foreign Office.

Jeff’s wife Sindy, who is a Chinese national, has not been offered a seat.

The family, pictured, had travelled to Hubei to celebrate Chinese New Year with Sindy’s family, but when the airport was locked down, their return flights were cancelled.

Horrendous

Jeff, of Prudhoe, Northumberland, said: “We have heard there is going to be an airlift imminently, but they are only allowing British citizens on the plane.

“My daughter is in floods of tears because she’s going to be split up from her mum.

“It is a horrendous decision that we have had to make.”

Sindy will have to stay with her family in their village until they are able to make arrangements to get her out of the country.

Jeff said: “She’s just distraught that she can’t be with her daughter. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

“We are going to try and push, if she can’t get on the flight with us, to campaign to try and get her to come back as soon as the virus outbreak settles down.”

Jeff said it was the Chinese who had imposed the restriction on their own nationals.

He said: “Apparently the Chinese authorities are just saying that no Chinese nationals are allowed to leave.

“Even if you have got dual nationality, you can’t leave.”

Upon their arrival back into the UK Jeff and Jasmine face 14 days in quarantine.

Jeff said: “We are only allowed to bring one small hand luggage bag each.

“This means we have had to leave most of our luggage here [in China].”