A wedding party heading for a dream ceremony in Cancun were left stranded at Heathrow Airport as flights to the resort were cancelled following the outbreak of swine flu.

Dreams of a beachside ceremony in Mexico were left in tatters for Tipton couple Karla Mycock and John Morley as the wedding they had spent 16 months planning was halted in the airport lounge.

The couple were due to wed on May 6 at the luxurious Occidental Grant Xcaret resort in the Cancun.

Bride-to-be Karla, aged 23, was left in tears as the couple were to to wait at the airport while staff frantically tried to rearrange their big day in another part of the world.

She said: “Before we set off from the West Midlands we checked and were told the only flights affected were those to Mexico City. I was devastated when I heard all flights to the country were grounded.“The wedding had been booked since January last year, so it was heartbreaking to find out that with less than a week to go that it was all off.”

Finally, after 12 hours of waiting, the couple were told they could fly out to Barbados to tie the knot instead.

They and the party were catching their flights today for holiday at the Almond Beach Club Resort. Karla said: “It has been unbelievably stressful. There were a lot of tears but the Virgin staff were amazing and my family and friends were really supportive.”

Scores of flights to Mexico have been cancelled following Government advice not to travel to the country.

Around 160 people have now died in the South American country and there have been a number of suspected cases in the UK, including two families in Walsall and a couple from Stafford.

The swine flu strain is most dangerous in Mexico. Those suffering in other parts of the world suffer only minor symptoms.The Government was today organising the sending of millions of information leaflets to every address in the UK. It has 33 million anti-viral drugs ready.