Royal Navy ships to collect stranded Brits

Monday, April 19th 2010

Britons who are worried about the cost of getting home from a holiday due to the volcanic ash cloud may be pleased to hear the latest government announcement.

There will be two Royal Navy ships deployed to collect holidaymakers who are stranded around Europe, authorities have said.

HMS Ocean and HMS Ark Royal will be used in the repatriation efforts for some of the thousands of Britons who are trying to get back to the UK.

Prime minister Gordon Brown said today (April 19th): "We are looking at the results of test flights that have been up in the air yesterday and today and looking also at the manufacturers' recommendations."

The European Council meeting of transport ministers will then decide whether it is safe for planes to fly again, he added.

All flights in the UK were grounded last Thursday as a result of volcanic ash in the atmosphere, which resulted from an eruption in Iceland.