SCHOOLCHILDREN, tourists and businessmen from Sevenoaks are among thousands of travellers left stranded by the European air crisis following the Iceland volcanic eruption.

Sennockians all over the world are fighting to get home through the chaos, paying thousands in travel fares while desperately trying to rearrange their domestic lives from abroad.

A party of Sevenoaks School students were due back home today (Thursday April 22) after being forced to make their way across Europe by rail and road after they became stranded in Russia.

Concerns

Undermaster Mike Bolton said: "We do have some concerns about students in the upper sixth whose examinations are due to start on May 4."

A total of 150 boarders and 20 day pupils from the school have been affected.

Some 26 children from Amherst School have also fallen victim to the volcanic cloud of ash, with one father considering driving to Madrid to bring his family home.

A "frantic" teacher stuck in Australia apologised to headteacher Derry Wiltshire for her absence, but he told her not to feel guilty.

Mary Boyle, the principal designate of the new Knole Academy, is stranded in the Carribean.

And a Sevenoaks town councillor due to attend a meeting on Monday night had to send his apologies from Tanzania, where he is stuck following a business trip.

Cllr Roderick Hogarth's partner Mary Grant said: "He is bored to tears.

"He was really looking forward to come home and he had a function to go to tomorrow night.

"He is having to pay his hotel costs and I doubt he will get them back."

One Sevenoaks couple had been looking forward to flying to Antigua in preparation for a journey across the Atlantic in their boat, but their plans are now in jeopardy.

Sevenoaks travel agents say they have been very busy as holidaymakers extend or cancel their trips abroad.

But there was good news for a Sevenoaks taxi driver who made £450 when he was hired to take customers from France to Heathrow, dropping off one man at Ightham.

While London airports have been suspended, Biggin Hill airport has continued to fly helicopters and smaller private planes.

Spokesman Simon Ames said: "The frequency of smaller private planes leaving the airport doesn't really seemed to have intensified.

"Obviously, we are very worried because we are losing out on quite a lot of flights, which is particularly hard given the current financial climate."

How did the volcano affect you? Contact reporters@sevenoaks-chronicle.co.uk