MORE than 40 stranded university students made it back to Nottingham yesterday after a 22-hour coach journey from Italy.

The Nottingham Trent University students were stuck in Bergamo near Milan after their Ryanair flight was grounded on Sunday because of the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.

They had been visiting a furniture show in Milan.

Bulwell-based Skills Holidays had sent a fleet of coaches to Europe to pick up stranded UK residents and the university paid for one to collect the students.

Katherine Cole, 21, a textile design student, said: "I am glad to be back – we are lucky to have got back as a lot of people are stranded.

"The university has really helped us. I'm really tired and am going to go home and sleep."

Lecturer Steve Rutherford said the group was picked up by an Italian coach company at 4pm on Monday. A Skills Holidays coach then met the group in northern France.

"We are all a bit relieved but we had a few days when we had no idea when we would get back," he said."When we set off it was a bit of an adventure."

Nigel Skill, managing director of Skills Holidays, said: "I am pleased we were able to help these youngsters.

"I expect today the rest of our fleet of 15 coaches will be coming back to Nottingham in dribs and drabs."

East Midlands Airport continued to be deserted most of yesterday.

Airspace reopened at 10pm.

Penny Coates, managing director of East Midlands Airport, said last night: "It is essential people continue to contact their airline/tour operator and do not travel to the airport for any flight.

"It is unclear when schedules will begin to return to normal, as early indications suggest repatriation flights will be the immediate priority."

She estimated about 90,000 passengers have been affected.