TOURISTS from East Lancashire returned home from Tunisia after cutting short their trips following Friday’s deadly terrorist attack.

They include Nathan Chapman, from Taylor Close in Blackburn, who was celebrating his 21st birthday in the beach resort of Sousse when the attack happened just yards from the Soviva Resort hotel where he was staying.

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Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph after he flew home on Saturday, he said: “Me, my mum, and a family friend were walking through the hotel gates when a woman came running, shouting, ‘fire, fire’.

“We thought there was a fire in the hotel, then there was gunshots.”

Nathan and the others ran into the hotel’s lobby, where he said he saw 16-year-old Owen Richards, whose three family members were killed on the beach.

He said: “Everybody was panicking. Owen Richards came running into the hotel covered in blood, it was all over his body. Then there was more gunfire so everybody ran to their rooms.”

Alongside 14 others, Nathan barricaded himself into his hotel room as the attack continued.

“We could hear explosions. We sat there waiting before looking out the window,” he said.

“One of the bullets hit our building so we ran into the bathroom.”

Nathan, who had only landed in Tunisia on Wednesday for an 11-night break, said he feared for his life as Kalashnikov-wielding Seifeddine Rezgui targeted Westerners for Islamic State. He said: “I just knew it was ISIS. I thought we were going to die. I thought they were bombing our hotel and I was just waiting for it to go off.”

The terror came to an abrupt end as security forces descended on the bloody scene, shooting Rezgui dead.

Nathan said: “I’m relieved to be home but I feel sorry for the people who have been properly involved in it.”

Another man who flew home early was Lee Garry, 24, whose family cut short their two week holiday after four days.

Lee, who also celebrated his birthday on Friday, was holidaying with his fiancee Clarice, four-year-old daughter Maisie, and grandmother Margaret.

He said: “We were five minutes away from where it took place, but we could hear all the gun shots and the helicopters.

“The resort is nearly empty, everybody is just rushing home.

“We came back on a rescue flight on Saturday. We are all right, just shaken up.”

Steven Brown, originally from Blackburn but now living in Rishton, said he was planning on a day trip to Sousse from the nearby resort of Monastir. He said he was due to visit the beach and shops on Friday but changed his mind after his son said he was too tired.

Aaron Smith, from Liverpool, said he had been staying at the Marhaba Royal Salem Hotel, close to where the attack took place, with girlfriend Morgan, 23, from Burnley.