British tourists in Jamaica have criticised the UK government, travel agents and airlines for failing to issue travel warnings before Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean island. The category 5 hurricane, with winds of up to 180mph, made landfall on Tuesday, killing three people and causing widespread devastation.
Among those affected are a couple from north London who have been in lockdown at a Sandals resort in Whitehouse since Sunday night. Carl Pheasant, who turned 61 on the day of the storm, said his travel agent and British Airways did not advise against travel before their Friday departure. A Foreign Office official told them there was no restriction in place. 'We would have moved our holiday otherwise,' he said.
Shantal Da-Costa, 37, travelled from London to Jamaica with her two children for her brother's wedding last Thursday. At least 40 wedding guests are now sheltering in hotels. She said they were told at Heathrow of a possible hurricane but received no updates on arrival. 'We knew there was always a possibility of a storm, but not to this degree,' she said from a hotel shelter in Montego Bay.
Sarah Anderson, 49, from south Croydon, travelled to Negril for a multi-birthday celebration. She said her travel agent assured her they would not be flown into danger, but no mention was made at the airport. 'I'm really upset that we were allowed to fly out and weren't offered to postpone or change dates,' she said, as she sheltered in a hotel wardrobe.
The Foreign Office has advised Britons on the island to register their presence for updates and said a specialist team is being deployed. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'We offer the UK's full support and stand ready to mobilise resources to support British nationals and Jamaica, at its request.'
