Remaining stranded Brits should be home this week

Thousands of Britons stranded abroad by the volcanic ash cloud travel chaos should be home by the end of the week, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

Airlines brought back around 100,000 tourists over the weekend after skies above Britain reopened last week, but Abta said around 35,000 Britons had yet to board flights from airports around the world by yesterday.

An Abta spokeswoman said: "The majority of people are expected to be back by the end of the week.

"The size and scale of the suspension meant that everybody couldn't be brought back immediately."

Thai Airways International said the last of its 380 passengers caught up in the disruption were due to arrive at London's Heathrow airport tomorrow morning after being stuck at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The six days of restrictions were caused by ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano. More than 100,000 flights were cancelled with airlines set lose more than £1.3 billion.