Election candidate caught up in Pakistan flooding plight

Bexhill's Labour candidate at the 2010 General Election James Royston dodged landslides and waded rivers to escape the monsoon flooding which killed at least 1,400 people this week.

But the local man who went The Grove school and pulled in 6,524 votes to finish third in May was fobbed off by the embassy, who were not even interested in registering his name, he says.

"Our drivers said the only chance to get out of the area was to travel to Gilgit by jeep, which we did - along some of the most dangerous roads I have ever seen," said James. "The rivers were massively swollen, roads had been reduced to barely the width of our jeep, and on one occasion rocks rained down around us as we rushed along the road.

"Having been caught twice in rivers when trying to cross, we eventually had to wade across before being collected by drivers from Gilgit.

"The worst site was where our second jeep got stuck, where a bridge had been washed away that day, and tragically, several Chinese workers had drowned in their tents. Also we found out at the end of one day that a jeep had been washed off the top of one bridge we crossed, killing five women."

James and a group of six friends flew to Skardu, north Pakistan, on July 18 for a friend's wedding. They were staying near Astore when the floods hit, the avalanches began, and the group barely made it out, reaching a military cargo plane flying to Islamabad, and relative safety.

Originally due to fly home on Sunday, James called the embassy to ask for advice, having missed his flight.

He said: "The British Embassy has been useless throughout. When I called, it simply referred me to the online travel advice and wasn't interested in even registering my name. I do not expect special treatment, but was alarmed that the Foreign Office is not even interested in which British nationals have been caught up in this."

After being called by the Observer, Foreign Office representatives contacted James to check he was safe.

A spokesperson said the British High Commission in Islamabad was working with local authorities to get updates on the situation.

"The safety and security of British nationals if of paramount importance and we are relaying information to British nationals in touch with the High Commission," she said.

"We encourage British nationals travelling overseas to use our new LOCATE service to tell us where you're travelling to, so our Embassy and crisis staff can provide better assistance in an emergency such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster.

"We're encouraging all British nationals travelling and living overseas to register with LOCATE, even for short trips."

James, who was due to touch down at Gatwick Airport yesterday afternoon after the Observer went to press, said locals in Pakistan had treated him extremely well throughout.

James' mother, Francis Royston, said she and husband Stephen, of Crowhurst, were hoping for his safe return.

"I'm just hoping that he will get home as planned," she said.

To register with the Foreign Office LOCATE service, visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel.