A DREAM trip to the Caribbean has turned to disaster for a grandmother who fears she will miss her mum’s funeral stranded by the flight ban.

Sheila Roberts, of Whitby Avenue, Upton was in the Caribbean destination with her sisters and their partners when her mum passed away earlier this month.

Margaret ‘Betty’ Keep, 79, of Llys Eleanor, Shotton died from pneumonia after a long battle with illness following a hip operation.

In another cruel twist of fate, before Sheila and sisters Linda Morris, 58, of Ewloe and Pauline German, 53, of Connah’s Quay left for their cruise on April 3, holiday operator Thompson moved their trip forward by a week. It meant they would have been home for their mum’s death if the original plans had remained.

Sheila’s daughter Tina Farrall, 39, from Tarvin is housesitting for her 60-year-old mother and looking after her four Yorkshire terriers while she is stuck in the Dominican Republic. She said the funeral has already been postponed by a week from this Friday to April 30.

Mrs Farrall added: “It’s a nightmare.

“The holiday had been booked for 18 months. It was three or four days into the holiday when we had to tell them my nan was dying. Because they were island hopping they had to stay on the cruise – there were no airports on the islands.

“It has ruined their holiday.

“The last text I got on Tuesday night said they still had three more nights in their hotel. No-one’s telling them anything and no-one seems to be doing anything.

“We sat with my nan for four days while she lay dying – that was hard enough.

“They have been devastated, crying, but when I spoke to my mum yesterday she had anger in her voice. Now it’s the worry of missing my nan’s funeral. They can’t hold my nan any longer.”

Sheila was visiting her ailing mother every night while she was being treated at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Mrs Farrall added: “A week before they were due to go my nan cried to my mum and told mum not to go. She said ‘I don’t think I’ve got long’. She back-tracked because she knew my mum wouldn’t have gone.

“When I spoke to mum yesterday morning she said the navy have put boats on for people in Spain but they forget about us over here.”

The sisters were holidaying with Chris Sadler, owner of Chris Sadler Carpets in Vicars Cross, and his wife Margaret.

“It’s completely ruined their holiday as well,” added Tina.

Back home, fourth sister Jeannette Toye, 57, of Ewloe, brother Vernon and dad James are all desperate for them to return home soon.

The funeral of Margaret Keep, married to husband James for 62 years, will take place at St Deiniol’s, Hawarden on April 30 at 10am.