Stranded OAP John hit with £2k bill to fly ill wife home

Husband tells of ordeal during Spanish lockdown

- SARAH VESTY

A SCOTS pensioner was forced to fork out nearly £2000 to stop him and his ill wife being left stranded and homeless in the Canary Islands.

John and Ellen Begley had been enjoying a three-month holiday in Fuerteventura when the coronavirus struck and the island was placed on lockdown.

They had been due to return to their home in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, on a Ryanair flight booked for March 29 but found themselves stuck after it was axed.

The Spanish authorities then announced a countrywide closure of all accommodation, which left John frantically searching for a replacement travel plan.

After their second Ryanair booking was cancelled without notice, the 69-year-old was forced to book with Jet2 – whose price doubled within minutes of him selecting the flight.

His concern for Ellen, 67, who suffers from chronic lung disease COPD and pancreatitis, meant the retired union worker had no choice but to pay the fee.

John said yesterday: “We got home this morning and it was just a relief more than anything else. It was just a terrible time over the last week.

“We were on lockdown from last Saturday but we were booked to come home on the 29th, so that was fine.