County joy as Iran crisis ends

Friends and family of the 15 captured sailors - including Shropshire woman Faye Turney - were celebrating today after the two-week crisis came to an end.

The 26-year-old mother-of-one and her fellow 14 Royal Navy crew members were set to touch down at Heathrow Airport at noon before being flown to Royal Marines Base Chivenor, near Barnstaple, north Devon.

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, today said Mrs Turney's release was "fantastic news".

He said: "I have been in touch with her parents and they must be delighted she is coming back. I am very grateful the sailors are being released. It is fantastic news.

"The Iranian government has acted totally inappropriately in taking them hostage and parading them on TV.

"The whole community is delighted they are coming home. She is a very courageous young lady and I am very pleased she is coming back."

Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mr Algernon Heber-Percy, said: "I know that all the county will join me in being hugely relieved that the British Navy personnel are to be returned safely and my special thoughts go to the parents of Faye Turney.

"All our thoughts have been with them and so this news will make for a very happy Easter."

Shrewsbury mayor Roger Evans said he looked forward to Mrs Turney arriving back and being reunited with her family.

"I can only imagine the anguish that has been suffered by both her and her family. I am glad she is now being returned to them.

"When Faye is back in Shrewsbury I would like to invite her to the mayor's parlour to hear about her experiences," he said.

Borough councillor Peter Jetson, who represents the Bowbrook ward where Mrs Turney's parents live, said: "I am very pleased to hear this news and it must be a big relief to the family to have their daughter coming home.

"To all the families of the other soldiers it must also be welcome news as well. I'm sure that when they get back there will be some big celebrations."

He said everyone in the Bowbrook ward, many of who will know Mrs Turney and her family, would be delighted at her imminent return to Britain.

Mr Jetson said he was also confident he was speaking for the rest of the borough councillors when he said they would all be very pleased to hear of Mrs Turney's release from custody in Iran.

Geraint Morgan, deputy chief executive at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council, said: "I am sure that I echo the thoughts of all residents of the borough when I express sincere relief at the humanitarian resolution of this issue irrespective of wherever fault or blame lies."

Chairman of Shropshire County Council Brian Gillow added his voice of celebration to the news the 15 soldiers had been released by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

He said: "I am delighted to hear that, especially for the families.

"I am sure everyone across the country, and in particular in Shropshire, will be pleased to hear this news."

The grandfather of seaman Andrew Henderson, a former pupil at Penley High School, near Ellesmere, said his family were "over the moon" that he was finally returning home.

Roy Ashfield, 74, from Wrexham, said the past two weeks had been a nightmare but now they were planning to celebrate 23-year-old Andrew's safe return.

He said: "We are a very large family and we had everyone over last night for a big barbecue to celebrate.

"It has been a very hard few weeks but the mood now is fantastic, we are all very happy.

"Seeing Andrew on the television was very difficult, we could all tell he was under a lot of pressure.

"It is cracking news he is coming home, I feel grand."

Mr Ashfield said Andrew's parents Ted, a retired police officer, and Diane, a hospital administration worker, were in high spirits following their son's release.

He said: "They just can't wait to see Andrew. I'm sure we will be having a big party when he gets back."