A "WORRIED sick" Herefordshire couple are among the thousands of Britons stranded abroad by the coronavirus outbreak.

Hannah Hayes, from Ross-on-Wye, said she and her boyfriend are desperate to get home after their flight from the Philippines was cancelled.

The couple were due to return home on an Emirates flight from Cebu Island on March 26, but all flights have been stopped by the airline following a United Arab Emirates government directive aimed at slowing the virus spread.

"The only way now to get an international flight now to London is via Manila," Hannah said.

"The British Embassy will choose when and if they send this flight out. It has to be completely full to leave, and to board this plane, you must have proof of onward travel within 24 hours of entering Manila. People are booking flights from Manila at £1,500 plus just in the hope it’ll get them on the sweeper flight, even though it may not go.

"The only airline flying to London is Qatar Airways, who are charging an extortionate amount of money without the guarantee of actually leaving or not being stuck in a different foreign transit country.

"The sickening thing is that the Qatar flights aren’t busy. They are half empty and they’re still running, whereas we’re waiting for a flight to be full."

To make matters worse, the couple say they have now been told they must leave their hotel immediately, with all hotels set to close as lockdown measures are brought in.

"Without the British Embassy doing anything we will be homeless for days, weeks or possible months," Hannah said.

"The British government are not helping us at all, and I physically and mentally cannot go on like this any more. Something needs to be done immediately."