A BRADFORD woman stranded in Peru is hopeful she will be able to fly home this week after the Government announced it was arranging a flight.

Becky Smedley, 33, from Cottingley, who is stuck in a hotel in the Peruvian capital Lima, said: "We had an email on Saturday to let us know that plans are being put in place to get us home, and a request for our passport details."

More than 400 British and Irish citizens are believed to be in the South American country, with some fearing they would be unable to leave following a Government lockdown.

But the FCO said on Saturday that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had secured permission for a UK-organised flight to leave Peru for "early next week" following a call with his Peruvian counterpart.

Becky added: "Nothing further yet but has helped people to feel a bit more positive.

"Life continues to be very surreal. We haven't left the hotel since Wednesday - and on Saturday the police stopped us from sitting on the front steps of the hotel too!

"The staff here are great and have been going to do small grocery shops for us. Some hotels aren't allowing people out of their rooms but we are able to use the restaurant/ lobby etc. so crossing fingers that this liberty isn't taken away from us!

"There are four other people here from my tour group so we have been watching films together, playing card games and yesterday one even gave a seminar on leadership - he runs his own training consultancy back home! We are making the most of the spare time."

In a Twitter post, Mr Raab said: "I had a good conversation this afternoon with my opposite number in Peru, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra.

"Amidst all the challenges of tackling Coronavirus, we committed to working together in the coming days to enable UK nationals in Peru and Peruvian nationals in the UK to return home."

The FCO said it would continue to work with the Peruvian government to arrange further flights in coming days.

"We are working round the clock to make flights available next week for British people who wish to leave Peru but who are currently unable to do so on commercial flights because of the travel restrictions that have been imposed," an FCO spokesperson said.