A NEWLY-WED couple from Ellesmere Port had to wait more than 30 hours for a flight out of Manchester Airport to start their honeymoon in Majorca.

Coach drivers in the Balearic Islands took strike action over pay, affecting thousands of British holidaymakers on Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza last weekend.

With no coaches to ferry them to and from their resorts, tourists were left to queue for taxis or walk to the airports.

Shaun and Isobel Bedwell married last Friday at the town's Holiday Inn and were looking forward to their first holiday as a married couple.

But it took them an agonising 34 hours to reach their destination.

The couple relayed details of the drama by text messages to next-door neighbour and close friend Jacky Owen.

She said: 'After getting married they left for Manchester Airport the following day at 3.30pm and were hoping to arrive in Palma Nova by early evening.

'But I received text messages from Shaun saying the airport was in chaos and their flight was delayed.

'The travel company put them up in a hotel on Saturday night but most of their time has been spent waiting at the airport.'

She added: 'It wasn't until 1.30am on Monday that Shaun let me know they had eventually arrived. As far as I know they are fine but obviously very tired.

'Their honeymoon has been ruined and they still have to make it back home this Friday.

'To make matters worse they have heard they won't receive any compensation because they are not insured for industrial action.'

If you know of anyone who ran into similar problems with the strike e-mail the Ellesmere Port Pioneer at pioneer@chronicle.u-net.com