A BLACKBURN student stuck in America after last week's terrorist attacks has been reunited with his family.

Paul Vaughan, 20, was staying just outside the area where terrorists struck.

He had been due to fly home on the same day, but within an hour of two planes smashing into the World Trade Centre all aeroplanes out of the USA were grounded and Paul was stranded.

His father John, who owns Blackburn Record Exchange, in Higher Church Street, with wife Pauline tried to contact his son an hour later but all communication lines were down.

Today a relieved Paul was reunited with his parents after flying back to Britain.

He said: "I'm just so relieved to be back home.

"It's difficult to put into words exactly what I'm feeling apart from being glad to be back.

"Getting on the plane to come home was quite difficult because you couldn't help thinking, 'What if the same thing happens to me?'.

"But luckily it was OK."

Paul, a language student at Bangor University, had been in America for the past four months.

He had been working as a lifeguard with Camp America.