A COACH firm has apologised to a Chorley couple after a driver scuppered what was supposed to be a romantic Valentine's Day cruise.

The un-named couple, who travelled with Continental Connection, splashed out £130 each for the weekend cruise to Spain. The holiday was supposed to combine doctors' orders for the boyfriend and a celebration of the girlfriend's birthday.

After being picked up in Chorley town centre - one of four stops the coach was due to make - the driver got stuck in a narrow side street.

The coach then got lost in Wigan, took three detours in Eccles and went the wrong way down a one-way street in Macclesfield.

It took five hours to reach Sandbach, where they changed drivers and they still had more than 200 miles to go to reach Portsmouth

After leaving the direct M6 route in Birmingham on to the M5, the new driver decided the tour had turned into mission impossible when they reached Bristol, knowing he could not make it to port in time - so he returned to Preston!

The company offered passengers another holiday, which was due to depart on Friday but the Chorley couple could not make it.

Helen Arkwright, sales manager for the tour operator, said: "We sincerely regret the coach did not reach Portsmouth on time for the scheduled departure.

"For operational reasons, P&O were unable to delay the sailing sufficiently. All passengers have been offered an alternative holiday, but the majority have been unable to travel again.

"Those who can't travel will, of course, receive a full refund. Passengers can write to us with their comments regarding their experience and we will be conducting a full enquiry into why the coach was delayed."

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