British school helps trapped family get to safety in Dubai

A BRITISH family trapped in Afghanistan have fled to Dubai after a Nottingham primary school stepped in to help them escape.

Their head teacher said they would be receiving counselling on their return to the UK having survived a terrifying ordeal to make it into a safe house at Kabul airport and on to a flight out of the country.

The siblings, a five-year-old boy and his nine-year-old sister, had flown out to Afghanistan with their sister, 24, more than six weeks ago following the death of an uncle, but became trapped in Parwan province following the lightning Taliban advance.

Amanda Dawson, headteacher at Mellers Primary School, said she was “absolutely overjoyed” that the family had managed to escape.

The Nottingham family had witnessed frightening scenes as they tried to get to safety near the airport in an area packed with Taliban troops, according to Ms Dawson. She said: “I managed to get to direct them to the safe house by the airport.”

She added that the school was involved with a charity that provides an established counselling service that is “already working” on plans to support the children.