THE New York nightmare continues for two teenagers who remain stranded across the Atlantic.

Andrew, 19, and 17-year-old Sarah Dickinson were due to fly back from America on Tuesday night, but are still stuck in the stricken city.

In an e-mail to the Evening Press the two youngsters described the latest from New York.

"The morning it happened was the day we were supposed to leave, so we had no plans," they said.

"We had packed our bags and decided to go shopping in Macys to spend the last of our dollars. We walked past Times Square at about 9.15am, where we realised what had happened and started watching everything unfolding on the big news screens there with thousands of other amazed people."

Andrew was hoping to start university in Aberdeen today and Sarah was due back at Malton School earlier in the week.

"At the hotel all the tourists just sit watching the news all day. It's the only place you can get any information. We have no idea when we are leaving which makes all tourists very tense, especially those like us with little money which is running out. Broadway shows are back on and museums and big shops are opening, but we still want to be home. It is costing a lot of money to stay here. We are missing home are it is very confusing being here."

The teenager's mother, Linda, was relieved to receive news on Tuesday to say her children were safe, but initial relief has turned to distress once more.

"They are like two lost souls in a ghost city," she told the Evening Press.

"I spoke to Sarah and she sounded quite upset. They want to come home, but are fearful of flying.

"They are stuck out there with nothing to do. The city is closed down their little jaunt to New York has turned into a nightmare."

She added that she was sending money out to them to keep paying for their hotels - their travel insurance will not pay out as 'acts of terrorism' are excluded.

Linda, from Fryton, had a frantic few hours on Tuesday after the initial attack on the World Trade Centre, but received an e-mail later in the evening saying "we are OK!".

The youngsters had visited the now-destroyed World Trade Centre twice, including a mini-cruise the night before it was destroyed.

Updated: 10:49 Saturday, September 15, 2001