A NORTH Yorkshire schoolboy had a nightmare end to the holidays - when he was sent home to the WRONG airport.

Norton College pupil Billy Bown, 12, was returning from a half-term treat to visit his grandfather in Hampshire.

But while mum Claire Marshall waited with eight-month-old daughter Amelia at Leeds-Bradford Airport, Billy was touching down at Teesside.

Mrs Marshall, from West Lutton, outside Malton, said: "This was a special treat from my father to Billy - he's never travelled on his own before.

"He flew down there no problem but when he flew home they basically put him on the wrong flight."

Mrs Marshall said her son's ticket was checked and doubled checked by bmi staff.

"I still have the stubs from the ticket and it says Leeds-Bradford flight 412 on that," she said.

Billy was spotted by staff at Teesside Airport after all the other passengers had left, waiting alone for his luggage, which had been put on the right plane.

Mrs Marshall, 33, said: "There was a tannoy announcement asking me to go to the information desk, where they told me he was in Teesside.

"They said they would put him in a taxi with a member of staff, but I said I would pick him up. Thank God it was only Teesside, and not any further."

After she collected her son, Mrs Marshall, then had to drive back to Leeds-Bradford to collect Billy's luggage.

Claire Allen, from bmi, said a major fault in the computer system could have contributed to the incident on Sunday.

Updated: 10:48 Wednesday, June 04, 2003