Shops are closing. Newspaper sales are falling. But we’ve chosen to keep our online journalism free because it’s so important that the people of Glasgow stay informed during this crisis.

To help us get through this, we’re asking readers who can afford it to contribute either £3, £5 or £8 a month to the Glasgow Times.

If you choose to sign up, we’ll also take away all the adverts – and deliver a digital version of the print paper to your device. Click here to help Save Your Times

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE mother of two women trapped overseas has criticised the lack of government support for travellers battling to return home as more airlines introduce coronavirus flight bans.

Ann McElhinney’s daughter Corinne, 29, a diving instructor, is stranded in Khao Lak in Thailand, while her sister Nadine, 26, who was working in the hospitality industry, is unable to get a flight out of Cebu City in the Phillipines.

Ann said her daughters have “tried everything in their power” to get home but are running out of options and money after paying for successive flights and are also facing visa hurdles.

While travellers trying to return home from countries including Australia and New Zealand have been offered assistance, she said the family had received very little support from the foreign office to secure flights back to Glasgow.

READ MORE: 'Fit and healthy' 28-year-old dad dies days after being diagnosed with coronavirus 

Ann, 53,who lives in Rutherglen, said:”Nadine is with her partner Sofia and her sister Susanna and Corinne is in Thailand. She is a diving instructor and had been working there. All the girls had been overseas travelling.

“The thing at the forefront of everyone’s minds is coronavirus but obviously because they are stranded in different parts of the world, the main concern has been trying to get them home.

“They all had flights booked with British Airways. Nadine and Sophia were flying out of Cebu and flying to Bankok and Corinne was making her way up from Khao Lack and meeting them there.

“The three girls were supposed to be flying out together.

“That flight was then cancelled. Then then booked and paid for an Emirates flight from Cebu and Phuket and they were tying it up so they would all meet in Dubai and fly home to Glasgow.

“They should have got here today (Saturday) but then Emirates cancelled all their flights.”

Glasgow Times:

Ann, who also has a son Ronan, 21, has been able to keep in regular contact with her daughters and said that in “an amazing coincidence” Nadine had been helped by a man from Clydebank, where she grew up.

She said: “Because we had been sharing things online we were put in touch with a man called Arthur Gent, who is originally from Clydebank an has been able to offer the three girls (Nadine, Sophia and Susanna) a roof over their heads."

READ MORE: Firefighters ready to help move bodies if coronavirus crisis worsens

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said this week that the government is assisting people to return from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Peru while it is “providing as much practical advice as is physically possible” to those trying to get home from other countries.

Ann said: “We were trying to get in touch with consulates over there and they were an absolute disgrace.

“The British Government is doing nothing to help although my local MP has been very helpful.

“My girls have ohana tattooed on their arms, which means family in Hawaiiann. As much as they are wandering spirits, at a time like this you just want to come home.”

A government spokeswoman said: "The FCO is working around the clock to support British travellers in this situation to allow them to come back to the UK.
 

"The Government is seeking to keep key transit routes open as long as possible and is in touch with international partners and the airline industry to make this happen.

"Consular staff are supporting those with urgent need while providing travel advice and support to those still abroad.”