Hek of an error in heat of moment

SOMETIMES all you can do is laugh. Amid the chaos caused by the now almost week-long shutdown of airports across Europe, news alerts on Monday evening suggested an even worse scenario had arrived.

Hekla – a second, larger glacier neighbouring the Eyjafjallajökull volcano which has brought the continent to a standstill – was said to be erupting.

It was the worst possible scenario – volcanologists said an eruption was long overdue and could significantly increase the problems being faced.