Ash costs

26 April 2010, 08:01 | Updated: 26 April 2010, 09:11

Heart's been told the flights disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud will have cost Oxfordshire at least £1.5m.

Businesses have had to cope without employees who have been stranded abroad, and it's thought many overseas tourists haven't been able to make it to Oxford.

Keith Slater from Oxfordshire's Chamber of Commerce came up with these figures for Heart.  He's been telling us many travellers affected by the ash cloud will have had to fork out to get home.

"The Oxfordshire economy produces around four and a half million pounds a day," he said, "so if you look at the one and a half million that's been lost, it's quite a big chunk."

A ban on flights using UK airspace was brought in on Thursday 15 April 2010 for safety reasons, after ash from a volcano in Iceland started building up high in our atmosphere.  Ash from volcanoes can damage planes' engines.

Restrictions on flights taking off and landing at UK airports were lifted on Tuesday 20 April.

Keith has been personally affected by the disruption.  He was in Italy when the flight ban was brought in on 15 April.  He had to drive a car all the way back to Luton Airport, to pick up his own car and then drive the rest of the way home to Burford.

This unplanned arrangement - and having to make the return journey to Milan take the car back - has cost him £250.

How much have you paid out to get home because of the volcanic ash cloud?  Tell us using the form below.