Elton wife relieved after loved one flees Libya

Mar 3 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

THE wife of an oil worker who was stranded in Libya was hoping to be reunited with her loved one at Manchester Airport last night.

Margaret Lockhart, 60, Elton, was frantic with worry about husband Jim, a design engineer for a Libyan company in Brega.

But on Sunday the firm arranged for Jim, 61, and his colleagues to be put on a bus to the port of Benghazi where they were rescued by HMS Cumberland which took them to Malta.

Fortunately, the three-hour road trip was uneventful despite her fears of a mercenary attack. Jim was due to fly into Manchester about 9pm last night.

Mrs Lockhart is so relieved especially after hearing latest reports.

She said: “It’s just been on the news that Gaddafi has taken over Brega where Jim was. Oh my God, if he’d still been there, it would have been worse!”

Mrs Lockhart gave TV interviews to put pressure on the government to take action when she feared not enough was being done to bring Jim and other stranded Britons back home.

She was not sleeping and eating and said her mind had been racing with worry.

Now relaxing at home, Mrs Lockhart, who has grown-up children James and Janice, feels emotionally drained.

“I just feel shattered. I’m feeling it now. When Jim comes home I might go and see my family in Scotland for a long weekend,” said the housewife, who like her husband is originally from Glasgow but came to this area more than 30 years ago.

And Mrs Lockhart revealed that while she supports Celtic, her husband is a Glasgow Rangers fan with a derby match last night. “Jim’s going to miss it but I will tape it for him,” she said, laughing.