Stranded teachers remain grounded

OLDHAM’S schools faced more disruption today as the volcanic ash cloud continued to ground flights over Europe.

North Chadderton and Hathershaw secondaries were closed to Year 7 and 8 pupils because of staff stranded abroad.

Others caught in the travel chaos include 14 pupils and four staff from Hulme Grammar School who are stuck in the US following a trip to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Friezland Primary School head teacher Jane Wallace is unable to get home from Mexico, although the school is open as normal. Plans to re-open all airports across the UK today were cancelled as a new ash cloud from the Eyjafjallokull volcano in Iceland causes uncertainty.

A statement on Manchester Airport’s website this morning stated that it would be closed until at least 1pm.

The public are urged to contact their airlines and tour operators before travelling to the the airport.

However, British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh is among those who has questioned the “blanket ban” on flights.

The shutdown of UK airports since the end of last week has cost the company £15 million to £20 million a day.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced plans to use Royal Navy vessels to bring home some of the estimated 150,000 Britons stranded abroad.

The new £500–million cruise ship, the Celebrity Eclipse, is due to leave Southampton tonight for Bilbao to pick up around 2,000 British tourists from the northern Spanish port.

Soldiers fighting in Afghanistan are also facing extended tours of duty after their flights home were delayed, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed.