A group of divers were left high and dry after their luxury holiday was cancelled because of the collapse of airline company XL.

The Calne Divers Club members, who won the £6,000 trip to El Gouna in Eygpt in October, even clubbed together so a ninth person to could join them on the trip.

XL Leisure Group's fleet of planes were suddenly grounded on Friday morning leaving around 85,000 people stranded abroad.

The group heard the news about XL on the way to the airport but decided to keep going in the hope that their flight would be safe.

Chairman Jon Dodsworth, 29, of Severn Avenue, Calne, said: "When we got to the airport it was weird. All the XL gates were shut and there was a massive queue at the desk. We knew it was bad news when we saw some women and staff crying.

"We won the luxury trip at a diving convention last year and it looked amazing. Staying in a five star hotel with wonderful diving every day. It would have been the holiday of a lifetime.

"It was tough for us all to get time off work at the same time and this was the only week we could do it. Rotten timing really.

"We were all really disappointed when we were told there was no way we could go. At first it looked as though we could get another flight but that fell through so we decided to head back to Calne.

"The atmosphere in the car on the way back was a bit depressing to say the least but we all decided to go out for a curry in the evening as we said that was probably the closest we would get to Egypt for a while.

"We have kept the holiday spirit going and had a BBQ over the weekend and plan to go diving during the week but its not the same as being in Egypt obviously.

"Hopefully all is not lost and we can rebook for later on in the year as the prize is still available."