A PETERSFIELD couple were among British holidaymakers caught in a terrifying ordeal when Tamil guerrillas launched a suicide mission at Sri Lanka's international airport early on Tuesday morning.

Ray Allen (45) and his wife Gillian travelled to the airport by coach with other tourists at the end of their holiday, expecting to catch a plane to London at 4 am.

As they arrived a unit of Tamil Tigers, armed with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns, mortars and light anti-tank weapons, launched their pre-dawn attack on the airport and the military base next to it.

Some holidaymakers were preparing to board a plane and were trapped in the crossfire between the guerrillas and Singhalese government forces.

Many of these were rescued by the coach carrying Ray and Gillian Allen.

Speaking from Sri Lanka, Mr Allen told The Herald: "Our coach pulled up at the airport and suddenly it all erupted.

"We knew something was going on because we could hear firing and explosions. Our coach driver pulled away from the front of the airport immediately."

But, said Mr Allen, they could see people running for their lives and the driver stopped and picked up as many as he could.

The holidaymakers were taken to an hotel close to the airport for safety.

But they were quickly transferred to another, 16 miles from the airport, where they remained until Wednesday evening.

Mr Allen, who received the highest police award last year when he saved a man's life, told The Herald: "I don't think it sank in with anyone about what had happened until Tuesday afternoon when we were all back at the hotel.

"We knew of the history of the problem, but we didn't expect anything at the airport on Tuesday morning.

"The coach had stopped and we were all ready to get off when we were whisked away. Ours was the last coach to get into the airport. All the others after us were stopped."

Mr Allen and his wife were taken back on Wednesday evening to catch a plane.

Speaking from the airport ten minutes before the couple were due to board, he said: "There are about 340 holidaymakers here waiting to get out. The airport opened up again about two hours ago.

"There is massive security all around us. It has been stepped up about tenfold since Tuesday. We are looking at three Sri Lankan aeroplanes which have been completely destroyed out there on the runway.

"Four planes have now landed on the Tarmac to take everybody home."

He said he and his wife hoped to be back at Heathrow early yesterday (Thursday) morning.

He said that despite the ordeal at the end of their holiday they had enjoyed their break in Sri Lanka.

He paid tribute to the Sri Lankan authorities and the tour company which had taken care of tourists caught up in the ordeal.

The attack, which lasted about six hours, left 13 Tamils dead - many having taken their own lives. Five military personnel were killed and 12 others wounded.