Ex-soldier faced with impossible decision to leave wife in Coronavirus-stricken China

A desperate Brit has begged to be rescued from Coronavirus-stricken China with his wife and newborn son.

Picture: SWNS

Former soldier Steffan Atherton, 47, claims he was not informed of the rescue flight for Brits reportedly on its way to the UK via France. Officials initially told him to abandon his Peruvian wife Diana Buelot, 27, in China and bring his two-month-old son Danny home to the UK.

The dad shared an emotional video conversation with a British embassy official as he begged them to rescue his family from Fuzhou, China. They told him Diana couldn't join the first evacuation flight which landed on Friday - and then relented and said the whole family could get on a future flight.

But in the call on Thursday, shared on YouTube, he asked the official if there were plans for other evacuations - and was told there were no such plans in place.

Officials initially told him to abandon his Peruvian wife Diana Buelot, 27, in China and bring his two-month-old son Danny home to the UK. Picture: SWNS

Speaking on the 2 February he claims he was not informed of a flight containing 11 Brits from China due to arrive in the UK this afternoon. Steffan, from Wirral, Merseyside, said: "We felt let down when they refused the VISA for my wife.

"I've invested in my country as much as anyone else. Paid my taxes and I served my country for eight years but they've not been supportive. I had the horrible decision to make to leave my wife in China to protect my baby or do we stick together.

"If we all stick together and Danny gets infected would it be something I regretted for the rest of my life. Our main fear at the moment is if Danny got ill or if one of us got ill and had to go to a Chinese hospital.

"They have a different way of doing things here. We wouldn't be comfortable as they use traditional medicine and there is a hygiene issue as well. I think despite being told there were no flights or rescue, the final breaking point was when he said they were allowing relatives on the flight.

"It was a game changer because now we had options to get out as a family instead of splitting up which was too overwhelming."

The teacher said he rides a moped to get food wearing gloves and protective gear, but said the streets are otherwise "completely deserted". There are speakers around the city blaring announcements in Chinese.

He was initially told Diana would not be able to join him in the evacuations to Arrowe Park Hospital after she was denied a VISA to enter the UK - but his son, a British citizen, could.

Steffan, who spent eight years in the British Army, finally broke down in tears when he was reassured that his wife would be able to join him and his son if there was another evacuation. The stranded family are now urging the Home Office to take action to help British families who are stuck in China - as the death toll reached 304 today.

He said: "We are suffering with cabin fever, we're taking a lot of precautions and that drains your energy. We're safe in school for now but we need to make the right choice, and with each passing day we've got fewer options.

"I think it would be amazing if the Home Office called or emailed and said we're going to lay on a flight every Wednesday to every city and it's optional. You get to the UK and get quarantined. I think that would prevent panic decisions, and it would take away the worry and it gives you options."

Steffan also slammed the Home Office's advice to expats to make their own way back to the UK as "reckless" and careless". He said: "Expecting expats to make their way back to the UK by their own means is a reckless and careless policy that puts British people at risk."