'I can't believe what we've had to put our children through'

Hundreds of British passengers face having their Christmas plans thrown into chaos after being left stranded on the continent in the fourth day of Eurostar disruption.

Passengers stuck in Paris, Lille and Brussels today attacked Eurostar for failing to provide correct information.

Some accused the train company of treating passengers "like idiots", while others said they had given up hope of being home for Christmas.

One family told how they spent 24 hours on buses, a train, taxi and ferry in a desperate bid to get a sick child back to their Hertfordshire home.

Dawn and John Phantis had taken sons - Joe, five, and Harry, three - on a pre-Christmas treat to Disneyland Paris but were forced to endure a nightmare return journey after Eurostar cancelled services.

Mr Phantis, 41, a restaurateur in Winchmore Hill, said: "We were blissfully unaware of the Eurostar problem until a friend called to ask how we were going to get home. We checked on the Eurostar website at 3.30pm on Saturday and a large message in red announced 'All trains running a normal service'. Eventually we got them to admit there would be no trains until at least the next day, but by this time my three-year-old had become ill and we were desperate.

"We tried to get a flight but they were all full, as were the ferries. We asked Eurostar staff, 'What shall we do?'. Their answer was simply, 'Do what you want to do'." The family decided they would have to stay an extra night at Disneyland and were charged 400 euros for a "very basic" room that smelled "like a urinal".

Yesterday morning they tried to book a ferry but were initially told they could only get on with a car or a bike. Mr Phantis said: "I decided we'd just go for it and, if necessary, tell them my bike had been stolen on the train."

Further misinformation about coaches from Lille to Calais saw the family hail a taxi to Calais, where there were scenes of panic. Mr Phantis said: "People were pushing past each other, fighting over taxis."

Once the ferry arrived at Dover, there was another scrum to get transport to the station. The family finally got home late last night.

"I can't believe what we've had put our kids through," said Mr Phantis.

Others stranded at the Gare de Nord today included Jim Morton and his wife, Gini, from south-west London.

Mr Morton, 54, said: "We were on a city break in Paris and always thought Eurostar was a failsafe way of getting here in absolute comfort. Instead we've been completely let down. We're on a our way to Lille now but there's no guarantee we're going to get any further. The situation is hopeless."