A NORTH Cumbrian couple are stranded in Gran Canaria off the north west coast of Africa after the Spanish authorities began putting the island into a coronavirus lockdown.

Lee Sherriff - who is a Carlisle city councillor for the city's Harraby ward - has been on holiday with her partner Troy Slater at the island's Puerto Rico resort and had been due to fly back to the UK last night - but their Easyjet flight flight was cancelled.

They hoped to take an alternative Jet2 flight but have been unable to.

"We've been told they're starting the lockdown from now," said Lee, 47.

"We've been staying 40 minutes away from the airport.

"Our flight was due to leave at 8.50pm last night but and everything seemed fine.

"Nobody mentioned coronavirus.

"But we got an email to say the flight had been cancelled.

"We got a taxi back to the airport this morning at 7am in the hope that we might get a flight,

"But nobody will take us.

"Five Jet2 flights have come into the airport today they won't take anyone else.

"All the shops and the cafes in the airport have been shut down and there's no food.

"They're saying you'll not be allowed to leave where you're staying unless you're going to a pharmacy, or to buy food but the supermarkets are empty. It's unbelievable.

"We've been told that there's going to be the Army and the police on the streets tomorrow."

Lee said she and Troy are part of a group of around 200 holidaymakers who have been left stranded, but they have been unable to get any useful information from either Easyjet or the British consulate, she said.

Nobody at Easyjet was available for comment.