Rob GarrattSchools and services are expected to face further disruptions today with the volcanic ash flight ban due to be in place until at least 1am this morning.Rob Garratt

Schools and services are expected to face further disruptions today due to the impact of the volcanic ash flight ban.

While the five-day blanket flying ban was lifted last night, very few of the hundreds of people stranded from this region were lucky enough to be on a return flight home today.

Not a single flight came in or out or Norwich International Airport yesterday but the first flights were due to lift off today.

One aircraft that was given the all-clear to fly yesterday for the first time since the ban was one of

the three East Anglian Air Ambulances.

KLM announced last night all its flights between Norwich and Amsterdam would be cancelled today, as well as the 6.20am departure tomorrow.

Other airlines were expected to make announcements overnight, following the latest guidance from air traffic control body Nats.

Elsewhere schools will face continued disruptions today as just a handful of the hundreds of stranded teachers return home.

Yesterday 440 staff were absent for the first day of a new term at 188 of Norfolk's schools, with 28 schools without a headteacher.

Concerns have been raised that the absences could prove costly for schools as they are forced to employ expensive supply teachers at a price of up to �200 a day.

However just one school across Norfolk and Suffolk, The Ashley School in Lowestoft, was closed yesterday, and it is expected to reopen partially from today until the end of the week.

While teachers elsewhere in the country will face pay docking if they are stuck abroad, Norfolk County Council said it would be down to individual schools' discretion on how to balance the books.

Lisa Christensen, director of Children's Services for Norfolk County Council, said: "Schools will have a number of strategies to deal with unexpected staff absence, including the deployment of cover supervisors, higher level teaching assistants and supply teachers. Teachers may also be asked to cover for their colleagues, in these unforeseen circumstances, and we thank them for their support.

"This is an exceptional situation and school staff have really risen to the challenge, with some members of staff being asked to lead their schools in the absence of their headteachers and others being asked to carry out additional duties."

Yesterday the East Anglian Air Ambulance was allowed to operate its oldest helicopter, a Bolkow 105D, for the first time since the ban and from today the team were hoping to be able to use their two other helicopters, both of which are BK117s.

Chief executive Simon Gray said all the air ambulances are currently only allowed to be used for HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) missions and that a number of extra precautions have to be

taken.

"Our response times are slightly affected because of the precautions but we are back flying," Mr Gray said.