TWO Lowestoft children who were stranded in Turkey with their mother because of the volcanic ash turmoil have used their experience to help pupils in schools across the country.

TWO Lowestoft children who were stranded in Turkey with their mother because of the volcanic ash turmoil have used their experience to help pupils in schools across the country.

Sarah Brownsword and her children Anisha, nine, and seven-year-old Nadia, had enjoyed a holiday in southern Turkey and were on the plane home when their journey was cut short by the Icelandc cloud.

'We were on our way home when there was an announcement from the pilot that the air space over northern Europe was closed and that we were heading back to Istanbul,' said Ms Brownsword.

The subsequent chaos caused by the Icelandic volcano meant the family had to spend six days stranded at a hotel at Istanbul airport before finally catching a flight home on Wednesday last week.

Ms Brownsword, of Townsend Way, Lowestoft, who is a teacher at Halesworth Middle School, used the social networking site Twitter to let her many friends know what was happening.

'I then received an email from a colleague on a teaching website asking if the children could produce a video to let everyone know what was happening,' said Ms Brownsword. 'We agreed to do this and the video is now used in schools across the country so children can see the consequences of the volcanic ash and what it meant to so many families,'

Anisha and Nadia, both pupils at Gunton Primary School, are happy to let other children know about their experiences.

'It was fun making the video but it did get boring being in the hotel at the airport so we are happy to be home,' said Anisha.

To see Anisha and Nadia'd video visit www.purplemash.com/stranded/ It is part of an interactive newspaper report writing activity aimed at KS2 children and is produced by the educational software company 2simple.