A TRAVELLER sent to a war-torn country by a British tour operator said she would never be negative about her home town of Leigh ever again.

Samantha Rainford wanted to see the razzmatazz of a Brazilian carnival in the seaside city of Salvador.

But what she got was two weeks laying low as gunmen and machete wielding madmen stalked the streets of... war torn El Salvador.

Instead of staying at a luxury hotel, she spent the fortnight sleeping on the floor of someone's home.

And even popping to McDonald's or Pizza Hut for a bite to eat proved intimidating -- for she had to walk past armed guards.

Sam, of Broadwell Drive, said it had made her see her hometown in a whole new light.

"It's great to be back," she told the Journal.

Carnival

Sam, had booked a trip to Salvador in Brazil to spend some time at the Carnival.

But tour company Holiday Hypermarket apparently used the wrong airport code and sent her to Central America instead.

She went on the £1,100-per-head trip with her 37-year-old Italian boyfriend, Sergio, flying from London Gatwick to Houston, Texas before getting a connecting Continental Airlines flight.

While the pair were sitting on the plane, Sergio realised something was wrong but by the time they raised the alarm, the jet was in the air, en route to their unpreferred destination on a four-hour journey.

They arrived at the capital San Salvador without any money and surrounded by cash machines they could not use.

A man who worked behind the Continental Airlines desk at the airport took pity on the shocked pair and offered them space at his house for the duration of their holiday.

But even he could not protect them from being detained by gun-toting police and from being stopped and searched at a road block.

Sam said: "It was an unbelievable place. I've been to some unusual country's in the past but none like El Salvador.

"The people were absolutely lovely and friendly yet they all carried guns or machetes and it was a bit intimidating.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life. Even McDonald's had two armed guards."

Holiday Hypermarket offered to pay half the cost of flying them out of their hell-hole to Brazil but the couple refused saying they could not afford to pay the remaining 50 per cent.

They had also shelled out £400 for Carnival tickets which they could not use.

Sam said: "I can see the funny side but I just want my money back."

Holiday Hypermarket, however, said it was not to blame.

A spokeswoman said: "She was sent the booking and asked to check it, sign it and return it as confirmation she wanted to go ahead with the trip.

"We have offered Miss Rainford 50 per cent of the costs for her hotel in El Salvador which she has refused."