A FAMILY holiday ended with an “horrendous ordeal” as they spent three days in the sweltering heat of a Turkish airport with little information on when they’d be flown home.

Rachel Hooper and her family were left stranded after tour operator Thomas Cook collapsed, with no clear information on how or when they would be flown home by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Ms Hooper, 47, said she had no reason to be concerned during the week as the CAA had told her there would be a repatriation flight at a similar time.

But when they arrived at the airport to fly home on Saturday, it was obvious from the crowds of people in front of the departure screens, that wasn’t the case.

The group spent 16 hours at the airport on one day with little communication about what was going on.

“There was no organisation, no one really knew what was going on, they didn’t have the ability to deal with this,” she added.

“My family members were crying, we couldn’t take this anymore.

“The noise was horrendous because children were crying and babies screaming. Old people were suffering.”

The holidaymakers said the CAA told them to stay in the airport and not book flights or hotel rooms as they wouldn’t be refunded.

The family finally got back to Hereford at 9.30pm on Monday, after being the last people accepted onto a flight to Cardiff.

“There were 51 spaces on the flight to Cardiff, but the queue was horrendous and I thought we weren’t going to get on it.

“It turned out we were the last ones through and there was an elderly couple behind us who cried and it choked me up.”

The getaway, to celebrate her sister’s 50th and son’s 28th birthdays, turned into an “absolutely horrendous” ordeal and has put Ms hooper off flying for the foreseeable future.

“I have a flight booked to Amsterdam on Friday for my birthday, but I’m not going because I can’t face it after this ordeal.”

Ms Hooper, of Saxon Gate, said she will only get £150 compensation from her travel insurance.