Friends arrive in Spain 20 minutes before country’s lockdown

A MAN from Bridgend found himself stuck in lockdown in Spain 20 minutes after he arrived.

The country declared a state of emergency on Saturday, restricting movement throughout the country.

Jet2 planes on their way to the country were turned around in mid-air as the firm cancelled flights, and

EasyJet cancelled all of its flights to Spain between Tuesday, March 17 and Sunday, March 29.

Craig Turner, from Bridgend, travelled to Benidorm with three friends on Friday and arrived just 20 minutes before their lockdown.

Their flight home on Tuesday was cancelled, but they got places on a rescue plane to Bristol on Wednesday.

He said: “There is a lot of frustration but we have been making the most of a bad situation. There are a lot of Welsh people staying at the hotel and we set speakers up on the balconies and belted out some Welsh classics.

“The streets are all cordoned off and you are only allowed to go out if you are going to the supermarket.

“They have even had drones flying overhead to make sure people are not breaking the rules. We got up at 6.30am on Monday to make sure we were able to get on the rescue flight. Thankfully, we have got seats on that plane.”

The Foreign Office updated its advice on Spain in the early hours of Sunday, advising against all but essential travel to the whole country.

Spain declared a state of emergency on Saturday, which introduces a series of measures including significant restrictions on movement throughout the country.

Public gatherings are banned, most shops other than those selling food or other essential items such as pharmacies will be closed, many businesses and all schools and universities are closed, and all citizens have been instructed to remain at home except when going about a limited set of activities in particular to buy food or other essential items, to return home to their primary residence, to go to hospital or other health centres, or to go to work.

UK nationals in Spain should follow advice of local authorities. Anybody planning to travel to Spain should consult their airline or tour operator.

AMs in isolation – page 8