Runway crack leaves Scots stranded on remote island

GERRY BRAIDEN

While Britain owns the island, a deal was struck during the Second World War that gave the US Air Force, which used Ascension as a staging post, responsibility for maintaining the airstrip.

There have been no flights between Britain and Ascension, which played a crucial role in retaking the Falklands from Argentina in 1982, since April.

Ascension also becomes the second British South Atlantic outpost unable to provide a regular way on and off the island, after plans to open a newly built £250 million runway on St Helena were suspended because of strong winds that make landing planes dangerous.

Because St Helena’s airstrip can only accommodate short-haul aircraft, islanders rely on flights to RAF Ascension in order to reach the UK, a link which has now been severed.

It has been reported that residents have been directing their anger towards Whitehall for failing to persuade the US to perform repairs to the airstrip after heavy Airbus A330s caused a 10-foot crack to appear, forcing the Ministry of Defence to divert flights.

There have also been claims the loss of direct flights to the UK will kill off the fledgling tourist business and force the island’s only hotel to close.

Ms Halden’s daughter, Camilla, said: “My mum held a Burns Night in January so I know there are a handful of Scots there. She knows maybe 10 or so. She went there knowing how very remote it is.

“That lifestyle was part of the attraction in leaving Edinburgh and accepting the job in Ascension.

“And it’s certainly inconvenient that the planes are down. More unnerving though is if something bad should happen.

“What happens in the event of an emergency and how the island can respond?

“Mum’s hoping to be able to come back for Christmas, but that’s maybe a bit less likely now.”

Jonty, a pupil at Stewart Melville School in Edinburgh, said: “I’ve kept in contact with Ms Halden and when I read the article about Ascension I was really quite alarmed about how this has unfolded.

“The Foreign Office has clearly not done the proper safety checks on somewhere