Stranded passengers wait for news across northern Europe

Thousands of passengers were stranded today as ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption caused the grounding of flights.

All air traffic in and out of Norway's main Oslo Airport has been cancelled since this morning.

Flights from Copenhagen are severely disrupted and air traffic has been shut down in northern Finland, while airspace in northern Sweden was closed and transatlantic flights are taking a longer route south to avoid the ash.

Scores of passengers queued at Stansted in the UK in an attempt to get information about flights and refunds.

Bride-to-be Sonal Valani, 24, of Neasden, north-west London, was hoping to fly to Majorca for a hen weekend with a group of friends.

“We’re just waiting to hear whether we can go,” said Miss Valani, a council housing official who is due to marry electrician Naresh Varsani, 26, of Wembley, north-west London, on July 4.

“We’re just trying to find out what’s happening. It will be very disappointing if we have to cancel.”

A group of would-be actors was also among stranded passengers at Stansted.

Lee Harris, 20, of Glasgow, was heading to Dublin for a “lads weekend” with fellow students from the Mountview theatre school in Wood Green, north London.

“To be honest I don’t think we’ll be going today,” said Mr Harris.

“We’re just trying to find out whether we can switch our tickets or get refunds.

“We’ll try not to make a drama out of a crisis.”