"Amazing to be home"

Those were the first words of businessman Paul Hawden when he touched down in England following his cancer ordeal in Cyprus.

As he landed at Biggin Hill this afternoon, he added: "All I want to do is get home and kiss my wife Linda and my dog Jock. There were times when I thought this day would never happen."

Mr Hawden, 64, was diagnosed while on the Mediterranean island and then underwent emergency surgery.

But his ordeal continued when he was initially prevented from returning ot the UK until his insurers agreed to pay after his case was highlighted by the Medway Messenger.

He flew home on a Lear jet air ambulance which took off from Larnaca airport and flew to Biggin Hill.

His daughter Shaolyn was flying with him and an ambulance was being organised to bring him back to his home in Hoo.

Initially he had been told by Barclays that his health care was not covered and he was told he could not leave hospital until the bill was sorted out.

But, as reported last week, after intervention from the Medway Messenger and Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst, the financial giant backed down and agreed to pay his £29,000 hospital fees.

Mr Hawden, who runs a funeral business in Hoo, hoped he would be allowed to fly home after getting the all-clear from his consultant last Friday.

But he remained in Cyprus after Barclays was believed to have requested its own medical examination.

A spokesman for Barclays said that plans for repatriation were in progress, pending a doctor’s approval to travel. She said: “We were very sorry to hear of Mr Hawden’s recent stay in hospital.

“Mr Hawden’s doctor in Cyprus has now confirmed that his current condition is unrelated to his previous medical conditions. We have therefore been able to confirm that his treatment will be covered by his travel insurance.

“We have spoken with Mr Hawden directly to reassure him that his bills will be paid so that when he’s well enough he is able to come home.”

Mr Hawden flew to Cyprus last month to decorate his holiday apartment in preparation for friends who were due to stay there this month.

He had been feeling unwell since his arrival, but alarm bells rang when Mr Hawden, who had been given the all-clear from prostate cancer, noticed blood in his urine.

He underwent an operation to remove part of his stomach and oesophagus at the private hospital.

Mr Hawden told the Messenger: “I can’t thank you enough for helping to sort this out. I just want to get home.”

Miss Tolhurst said: “It is important to get Mr Hawden back to the UK as quickly as possible so he can receive medical care here.

“I am delighted to hear Barclays have now taken the decision to provide their customer, Mr Hawden, with full assistance to get him back to the UK.”

Mr Hawden’s daughter, Shaolyn, 27, who flew home with her dad, said: “I promised to get him home.

"I'm so relieved. I felt so alone out there. Now I have my family around me."

She said she was looking forward to going back to family home for a drink and cigarette.