The tourists in Spain facing a two-week quarantine when they get home

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Tourists holidaying in Spain have spoken of their confusion and anger after being told they must quarantine when they return to the UK.

At short notice on Saturday, the UK Government told holidaymakers who had not returned from Spain and its islands by midnight that they would be forced to quarantine for 14 days.

It comes after Covid-19 second wave fears saw the European country struck off the UK’s safe list.

Jane Darby travelled out to Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, last week and won’t be heading home until Tuesday.

She says it is unfair that those on the Spanish islands should be included in the new quarantine rules when the infection rate is highest on the mainland.

“The Covid numbers in the islands are some of the lowest in Spain,” says Jane, 56.

“It is not having a spate of cases like the mainland.

“It feels very safe. We feel safer here than we do at home because the Spanish social distancing measures have been so good. There’s sanitiser everywhere and as soon as you get up from your seat they clean it.”

Jane, who is on holiday with her partner Martin, 62, adds: “Before we came out we were looking at all the advice. I rang the hotel to check everything was definitely open and they assured us it was. We flew with Jet2 and it was all very smooth.

“There was no hint of a problem and then last night we read this on the news.

“Obviously you feel a little aggrieved because we’re not in mainland Spain.

“Last night a bus full of people arrived at the hotel so they were obviously still letting people fly over.”

Jane, from Sheffield, works in the NHS as a fundraiser and was due to return to work after four months on furlough.

She says: “I don’t know if I’ll get paid for the time I have to take off now.”

The decision was taken to suspend the so-called travel corridor with Spain after the country recorded more than 900 fresh daily Covid-19 cases for two days running.

Even Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who is currently in Spain for his summer break, was caught out and will join thousands being forced to self-isolate for a fortnight on his return to Britain.

The sudden timing of the UK Government announcement has been criticised by the travel sector and consumer rights groups.

But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has insisted the Government was right to take “swift” action.

One holidaymaker, who asked not to be named, travelled from Manchester Airport to Malaga with Jet2 on July 23.

The 24-year-old, who is on holiday with her partner, plans to isolate with her boyfriend when they return home.

She said: “I will obviously isolate but I plan to get a test when we arrive back straightaway.

“We are in a town called Estepona where there are no new cases so it seems unfair.”

She says she was very surprised when she heard the news adding: “There are no new cases where we are but because it’s mainland Spain we have no choice.

“It’s very safe here. Everyone wears masks everywhere and everyone keeps a distance.”

The Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain but the quarantine measures also apply to the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, despite having lower infection rates.

A dad from Salford is also among the holidaymakers who feel like they are “in limbo” following the government announcement.

“A colleague of mine has spent £2,500 on a holiday and the company won’t let him have the money back but he’ll lose wages when he comes back because he’ll have to quarantine,” he told the M.E.N.

“It’s an awful gamble. You’re looking at losing money on a holiday or losing money from work.

“I do think it’s wrong to impose it so suddenly. I’m a bit angry because I think it’s misleading as to what you can and can’t do.”

The dad travelled out with his nine-year-old daughter and wife last week for a three-week stay at their holiday home on the Costa Blanca.

“I may have to take some leave until I can go back to work,” he says.

“The wife has been furloughed and told she can’t go back until September so that’s okay. But it will be difficult for us. My little girl has a birthday when we get back and she will miss out on celebrating that if we have to quarantine.

“I will try and get tested as soon as I can when I get home.”

Mr Raab told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme that no worker following quarantine guidance should be penalised by employers – including by being put on to statutory sick pay.

“We expect employers to show those employees who will have to quarantine because of the law (change) the flexibility they need,” he added.

“If someone is following the law in relation to quarantine and self-isolating the way they should, they can’t have penalties taken against them.”

Passengers arriving to Gatwick Airport from Spain on Sunday morning spoke to the PA news agency about their frustration at the quarantine rule change.

Many were disembarking from a flight from Barcelona that landed shortly before 9am.

Philip Bradby, 55, and Marina Wilson, 40, from Bournemouth, said they had returned from holiday early due to the shut down of the travel corridor with Spain.

“I think it’s quite poor that they did it so instantaneously,” Mr Bradby said.

Jill Witte, 53, arriving back in the country with her two daughters and husband, said the quarantine rule changes would “massively” inconvenience the family.

“We were shocked, it didn’t look like that was coming, otherwise we wouldn’t have gone,” she said.