AN actress from Bolton was caught up in a two-day flight from hell.

Casey Lee Jolleys, who played Fred Elliott's Thai bride Orchid in Coronation Street, was among 300 passengers who had to battle with drunks, flee an exploding bus and evacuate their plane after a maintenance van crashed into it on a runway.

The actress, from Astley Bridge, had been on a return flight from Thailand to Manchester with her husband Michael and two-year-old daughter Halle.

She said of her ordeal: "It just went from bad to worse, it was a flight from hell."

The journey home should have taken 14 hours but it took 49.

The Thomsonfly plane left Thailand last Thursday and stopped to refuel in the United Arab Emirates. But during the process, a truck crashed into the wing and put the aircraft out of action.

Food and drinks vouchers were handed out by tourism officials, but some passengers became aggressive after a few drinks.

Casey said: "People were shouting at us and telling me to keep the baby quiet. "She is a two-year-old and had been up for hours, we just wanted to get home."

After waiting at the airport Thomsonfly agreed to bus people to a hotel in Abu Dhabi, But then the bus in front of them burst into flames.

Casey said: "The passengers managed to kick out the windows and luckily no-one was hurt."

Casey, who is opening a dance and drama school in Bolton in six weeks, said she was thrilled when the plane touched down in Manchester - on Saturday. She added: "We were just so glad to be home."

A Thomson spokesman said: "The safety of our passengers and crew is Thomsonfly's top priority and we apologise for the delays incurred."