Stranded Britons in desperate attempts to get on last flights

THOUSANDS of Britons stranded abroad were scrambling to return to the UK last night before airlines stop all flights in and out of the country.

Tourists in countries including Spain, Morocco, Peru and Cambodia spent the weekend desperately trying to secure seats on the few last flights home.

Many are furious at the Foreign Office for refusing to offer repatriation flights despite declaring a ban on global travel for 30 days. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Friday that up to one million citizens could be stranded oversea, including hundreds on cruise ships, with many facing a dwindling number of opportunities to get home as airlines begin to ground their fleets.

There are more than 400 British and Irish nationals stuck in Peru, where the government declared a 15day state of emergency.

On Saturday Mr Raab tweeted to say a UK-organised flight would leave Peru ‘early next week’.

The Foreign Office said it would try to arrange further flights in coming days.

In Thailand, British Ambassador Brian Davidson said it is ‘very likely’ flights will start to be reduced and some airlines may ‘no longer offer services to Thailand’.

Closer to home, hundreds of British holidaymakers are trapped on cruise ships in Europe. Some 214 pensioners are on the Costa Pacifica which has been forced to dock in Genoa, northern Italy – the epicentre of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak.

Passenger Robert Marshall, 75, told Mail Online: ‘What none of us want is to leave the ship and go on shore where we’ll be liable to catch the virus.’

A spokesman for Costa Cruises said the British passengers would be flown home this morning.

The Portuguese government also said it would repatriate hundreds of Britons onboard MSC Fantasia in Lisbon. Passengers were told they will be flown home tomorrow.