Eight people from Gwynedd who faced “an arduous journey home from Mumbai” when their flight was cancelled amid conflict in the Middle East have returned.

The party of three adults and five vulnerable youngsters returned on 7 March, four days later than planned.

They feel lucky and grateful to be home, and their thoughts lie with people in areas caught up in the conflict.

Thanking people who sent supportive messages after the ‘Cambrian News’ featured their plight on 3 March - the day the group had been due to return home - they are also grateful to Dwyfor Meirionnyddd MP Liz Saville Roberts, who raised the issue with the Prime Minister.

Youngsters on the trip with Gwynedd charity GISDA “face an arduous journey home from Mumbai”, the MP told Keir Starmer in the Houses of Parliament.

Sian Tomos, chief executive of GISDA, was part of the trip to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

“We should have flown home from Mumbai to Manchester on 3 March, but a friend sent a message about the conflict,” she said.

“We didn’t hear anything from our airline, IndiGo, but I look online and could see our flight had been cancelled.”

The group had to book four flights on their own, “eventually leaving Mumbai on Thursday morning, flying to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from there to Johannesburg, then Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and from there to Heathrow.

“We still haven’t been able to speak to the airline but we had to risk purchasing flights for eight of us, not knowing where we stood with them and our insurance, but it was our priority to make sure we got everyone home safe.”

With an extra day in Mumbai Sian said the group “tried to make the most of it, even though everyone was a bit tired”.

“We went to bed on Wednesday and got up at 2am to catch the first of four flights home.

“We stayed one night in Johannesburg as our flight from there to Ethiopia was the next morning, and then we flew to Heathrow. We got the tube to Euston, the train to Bangor, and a taxi to Caernarfon.

“We are all extremely tired but everything went smoothly.

“We feel extremely grateful we were in a safe zone and not in the Middle East.

“The next headache is figuring out the expenditure and if we can claim anything back.

“Our GISDA board members and colleagues have been extremely supportive and just wanted us back safe, and Liz raised the issue in Parliament. People have been really good, trying their best to help us.

“The initial trip was funded by the Welsh Government programme, Taith, a fantastic scheme that offers people the chance to travel all over the world.

“They’ve been really supportive too and may be able to help more if needs be.

“So our bad situation was actually not that bad.

“The youngsters, apart from one, had never been abroad, and I’m sure after overcoming their tiredness they’ll look back and really appreciate the trip they’ve had.

“They’ve seen so many places and done amazing things in India. We just feel lucky to be back home safe and well.”

Sian also wants to thank the youngsters themselves.

“I was dreading telling them our flight had been cancelled, but everyone was great and we had a group hug.

“The staff members who came with me were brilliant too.”