STRANDED FAMILY’S FIGHT TO GET HOME FROM OZ
Virus leaves duo in limbo
A father and son stranded in Australia face an anxious wait to fly home after all flights were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Chris Purdon, 46, and his son Ben, 19, had been visiting family in Brisbane when they were told their flight home last week was grounded.
Now after, more than a week of trying to get home, the pair, from Erskine, are booked on to a flight today.
They initially faced an eyewatering bill of £4,000 for a flight, but were eventually able to find one costing £2,500.
The pair then faced an anxious wait to find out if their flight would go ahead.
Speaking to the Express, Ben’s mum Heather Purdon said: “They were trying to get through to the airline on the phone to find out about their flight and they just received a text saying it was cancelled.
“They thought they were going to have to pay £4,000 for a flight, but they didn’t have that kind of money.
“Thankfully, Chris managed to sort something and they were able to get it cheaper.
“But it is still a lot of money to have to pay just for a flight.”
Chris and Ben contacted the British Embassy for help, but, due to the high number of people facing a similar crisis , they never got a response.
Thousands of UK citizens are stuck in Australia and New Zealand after border restrictions were announced and flights cancelled.
Ticket prices have also soared, with many having to pay thousands of pounds for a seat on the few planes still flying.
Heather added: “They just want to get home now.
“Thankfully, they have been staying with my sister, so they aren’t struggling to pay for additional accommodation. “I just want them home. “With everything that’s going on, it’s daunting that they are so far away.”
Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP Mhairi Black said she had been contacted by a number of residents who were stranded in Australia.
She has urged people to get in touch with the UK Government to help them get home.
She also said her team is “working round the clock” to help people as much as they can.
She said: “I have been c o nt a c t e d b y s e v e ra l constituents stranded in many places all over the world who are having difficulty returning home.
“We have had constituents stranded in South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
“My team is working from home around the clock in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist stranded residents trying to get back to Paisley and Renfrewshire South.”