Burnley grandmother among 140 Britons due to fly home today from coronavirus hit cruise liner

Margaret Bartlett is on board the Grand Princess, that was finally allowed to dock in Oakland today, while the massive operation to evacuate the 3,500 people from the liner begins.

Margaret, who lives in Ightenhill, was enjoying a dream holiday with her friend Jackie Bissell from Kent to celebrate her 70th birthday, when disaster struck after 21 people aboard, including some crew members, tested positive for Covid-19.

The duo's holiday began the day after Valentine's Day and they had been due back in the UK last Saturday.

Passengers were told to remain in their cabins and Margaret's only lifeline to the ouside world has been phone calls to her daughter, Lynsey Vickers back home in Burnley.

Lynsey said: "It has been such a worrying time because my mum said no-one knew what was happening on the ship.

"But she has kept in good spirits and asked me to let people know that, contrary to many reports, the crew have been marvelllous and done their best to help passengers when they themselves have been affected by this."

Margaret, who has been a widow for 18 months after Peter, her husband of 54 years died, said that food was being left outside passengers' cabins at regular intervals but most of it was cold or undercooked.

Lynsey, who has two sons, Archie and Edward, said: "They were beginning to run out of food and didn't have basic things like cereal that my mum requested."

Lynsey praised the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for ensuring that vital medication her mum needs for three health problems she suffers from were delivered to the ship through the British Consulate General San Francisco.

Lynsey said: "The medication arrived on board but unfortunately not with my mum so the ship's nurse kindly found her some from their supplies."

Although the British citizens are due to fly home today Lynsey is worried that her mum and other travellers could be exposed to the virus on the long flight back to the UK.

She added: "To date my mum has not been tested for the virus so I hope all the necessary precautions are taken to get them all home safely otherwise the five days she has spent in quarantine will mean nothing.

"The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has stated screening will not take place but I am not sure exactly what that means and what will happen when they arrive back in the UK