A Dartford couple has been left stranded in Ecuador after all flights were cancelled following the coronavirus outbreak.

Stephen French, 62 and his wife Heather French, 63, were on a trip of a ‘lifetime’ when their final destination, Galapagos islands, in Ecuador, announced the closure of its borders.

The husband and wife first left the UK to travel in January, and were meant to fly back on April 8, with Norwegian Airlines.

Since Ecuador made the decision to close it's borders, the couples dream trip was put to a halt, and they have been forced to go into self-isolation abroad.

The couple are hoping to get flights back into the mainland today (March 27), however, risk being trapped at the airport.

In a desperate bid to help get the couple back to their elderly parents in the UK, Stephen's sister, Sue Treadwell, told News Shopper:

“My brother is trying to get a flight back to the mainland, but they will still need a rescue flight back to the UK.

“He feels that other countries have been more proactive in repatriating their citizens.

“Their experiences with our foreign office have been quite unhelpful- they feel disillusioned and forgotten by Great Britain.

“Despite huge efforts to get flights off the island and onwards to the UK, they have dismally failed.

“Stephen and Heather have witnessed other European countries operating rescue flights for other travellers, who were also stuck on the islands.

“I know times are very difficult at the moment for all of us- but they are desperate to be back and nearer to their family and elderly mother.

“If there was a glimmer of hope, I think their sons, family and I would be a little less anxious in these grim times.”