Henley butcher stranded in Dubai amid air strikes

“WE just want to get home”, says the owner of a Henley butchers who is stranded in Dubai as ballistic missiles and drones hit the city.

Barry Wagner, 51, owner of Gabriel Machin in Market Place, and his partner Jackie Scollon, 53, were enjoying a week-long winter escape at the Waldorf Astoria hotel before the attack.

The couple arrived on Sunday, February 22, expecting sunshine, relaxation and a return flight a week later.

But the day before they were due to depart, Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury.

This followed protests from Iranians against the country’s deepening economic crisis, which evolved into a broader movement demanding an end to the Islamic regime.

Mr Wagner received a government alert on his mobile phone at around 12.30am on Sunday saying he should stay inside and away from glass.

His flight, scheduled for later that day, was cancelled and was advised that there would be no immediate option to rebook.

Mr Wagner and Ms Scollon remain in their room while others in the hotel are sleeping on beds in the completely blacked-out basement with their young children.

He said: “On Saturday afternoon we heard a lot of enormous bangs, which were incredibly loud and so people started to panic.

“If you looked up, you could see clouds of smoke - nobody really knew how bad it was.

“We do feel relatively safe but you just never know when some of the intercepted stuff is going to come down or where it’s going to hit.

“But, as it is with British people, we are keeping that stiff upper lip and carrying on as normal and trying to stay calm.”

Since the start of the attack, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said that 165 ballistic missiles, two cruise missiles and 541 Iranian drones have been launched from Iran.

But Mr Wagner said his perception of the severity of the attacks intensified when the Fairmont hotel, the airport and the Burj Al Arab were struck.

He said: “We can see the Burj Al Arab from our window, which has very light damage on the outside, and we visited the Fairmont a few days before it got struck.

“This was a massive realisation as it set in that we could be in serious trouble.”

The General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates announced on Sunday that the state would bear all hosting and accommodation costs for affected and stranded passengers.

However, cover for Mr Wagner's accommodation, which costs £350 per night, has not materialised yet.

He said: “I have got travel insurance but it’s very clearly stipulated that it doesn’t cover acts of war.

“I received an email from Virgin saying it would pay the costs but that remains to be seen and obviously my tour operator, TUI, would have to pick up some of it as well.

“I understand they are inundated but we are getting very little information as nobody knows what to do.

“It’s frustrating as I’m trying to contact them daily to get updates but it must be increasingly frustrating for them as well as they’ve got thousands of stuck passengers.

“Hopefully all of this will be irrelevant and, quite honestly, the money’s the least of our concerns at the moment – we just want to get home.”

Mr Wagner, who was visiting the city for the first time, described it as “a war zone” and said he would not be returning.

He said: “The roads are extremely quiet with very few cars and nobody is walking around or on the boats and jet skis.

“My son, who is booked to come in a couple of weeks, recommended me to come here and it’s a beautifully clean and safe place generally with no sign of any police officers anywhere. Nobody ever talks about crime but I certainly won’t come back.”

They try to remain positive by listening to music and watching TV while monitoring the news.

Mr Wagner said: “I’m listening to Mumford and Sons and some old garage and house music and the usual telly and social media scrolling.”

Friends, family and customers have sent messages of support. “It has been wonderful and really nice,” he said. “Lots of people have offered their help and asked if they can do anything.”

Mr Wagner thanked his staff who have extended their cover while he is stranded. He said: “My usual team of staff, who are all great lads, have told us not to worry. They covered for my original week, so it’s an extension of that, so I would like to thank them very much.”

He has registered his presence in the United Arab Emirates, as advised by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office but he has called for better communication and prompt action from UK officials regarding repatriation flights.

He said: “The communication could be better but, equally, I understand that I’m not the only person out here and it’s very difficult to keep in touch with everybody. If they’re going to send these repatriation flights, then please get on with it.”