CHARITY worker Barbara Priestman was in despair after a series of transport calamities hit the children of Chernobyl's annual summer holiday in Leigh.

Not a lot went right with vehicles used to carry the party of 14 girls from Belarus, home of the world's worst nuclear disaster, from the moment they landed at Gatwick on June 7 until they left last week.

However, two good samaritans, Westleigh High School and bus company Stagecoach, did step in to save the days for the young tourists, brought over for the seventh year by members of Medicine in Chernobyl, Culcheth branch.

The series of problems started when a minibus the organisers had rented to collect the children from Gatwick proved unsuitable and had to be returned to the Leigh owners after one day.

As a result they were without transport for a week and host families were forced to use their cars to transport the party to Chester Zoo and Llangollen.

Barbara, of Cavendish Street, Leigh, wracked her brains to think of someone who may be able to help, and Westleigh High School answered her appeal.

The group had use of the school bus for two and a half weeks -- until it was involved in an accident while empty on Leigh's town centre multi-storey car park, and forced off the road just three days before the children were due to return to Gatwick.

Once again Barbara, a long time host mum to "adopted daughter" Svetia Papsoueva, now 14, had to put on her thinking cap, and after making over 40 phone calls Stagecoach, Chorley, came to the rescue with a 25-seater coach driven to the airport by manager John Calderbank.

Barbara said: "I can't thank the people who jumped to our aid enough, and we must apologise to Westleigh High School for damage caused to their bus. They took it very well.

"We raise money all year to bring the children over and are grateful for this generosity in a time of crisis."

Despite the transport chaos and the awful weather the children, who stayed with host families in the area, had a great time in the town taking part in outdoor activities and also visiting Alton Towers, Blackpool, Wrexham and Haigh Hall.

Barbara, who also cared for eight-years-old Tabya Aksuida, is once again seeking new families to offer homes to more children next year.

Anyone interested in fund raising or opening their doors to the children should contact Paul Appleton on 01942 262011.