Pendle couple stranded in New Zealand do not know when they will get home

Graham Denney and Linda Ensby have been in New Zealand for the last three weeks, the trip timed to coincide with the arrival of granddaughter, Rachel.

They were due to fly back on Thursday, but on Monday found that all flights to the UK had been cancelled.

The couple, both members of Trawden Athletics Club, have since been urgently trying to find out what is going on.

Graham, a partner in the Burnley computer service company T2, explained: "When all flights ceased we went to the Auckland Embassy only to find it closed with sheets of paper outside giving us the advice of keeping safe and contacting the airline for any help.

"I cant believe that the embassy would close with hundreds of its citizens stuck in a foreign country.

"Since then we have registered with the UK embassy and exhausted all options of getting home.

"We don't seem to be getting any responses from anyone and on Twitter there are many more having the same experience."

Graham has been contacting as many government departments as possible while Linda has sent urgent messages to Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson.

Graham added: "I have a friend who was stranded in Cape Verde on Monday and a plane has been sent to bring him and other Brits back home today. He is now at home.

"But there are around 300 Brits stranded here in New Zealand and there seem to be no plans to bring us home.

"We are lucky that we can stay with Linda's son for the time being, but we don't want to be away from home for another month."