A SURVIVOR of the Bali terrorist outrage arrived back in the North-East and told of his horror at witnessing the death of his best friend.

Still bloodied from the atrocity, Ian Stafford of Greencroft, Annfield Plain, arrived at Newcastle Airport with a harrowing account of the moments in which the holiday paradise became a killing ground.

Among the dead is Mr Stafford's friend, 55-year-old car mechanic Ian Findley from West Pelton, near Chester-le-Street.

Mr Stafford said that his friend had saved his life by shielding him from the full force of the explosion.

"We stepped out of the taxi into one of the clubs and the whole bar blew up in front of our faces," he said at the airport on Monday night. "We all jumped back. There was glass everywhere and everyone was covered in blood.

"We were at the front doors and just then the second bomb went off. I was behind Ian and he took the full force of the blast. He shielded me from the worst and without doubt saved my life."

Mr Stafford, 42, woke in hospital with 110 stitches and shrapnel removed from his leg, chest, throat and shoulder.

He saw his own name appear on the list of fatalities on Indonesian TV.

He said: "I was watching the TV and names began flashing up on the screen. I asked someone at the hospital what the names meant and they told me it was the people who had died - I was number 31."

The mix-up happened because Mr Findley had a bill with Mr Stafford's name on it in his wallet.

Mr Stafford, a garage owner, then had the grim task of identifying his friend at the morgue. The pair had been friends for 20 years.

Mr Stafford said: "The hotel manager rang me and asked me to come and identify Ian's body at the hospital morgue.

"When we got there, there were just piles and piles of cremated bodies. Then we found a box, and my best friend was lying there - it was horrible."

He has been to visit Mr Findley's grieving family.

Although Mr Findley is now listed among the dead, the family was still awaiting official notification from the authorities on Wednesday afternoon

Brother Brian, 52, and older sister Carolyn are planning to fly to Bali, possibly at the weekend, to make arrangements to bring back the body.

They were waiting for further information over flight details from the Foreign Office.

Brian said although he gave a DNA sample he is concerned that as far as he is aware it has yet to be sent out to Bali.

"The next step is for me and Carolyn to fly out. We've cleared it with work and such like.

"My company, Fern Training, has been very good and told me to take as long as it takes. We're just waiting to hear from the Foreign Office about a special flight."

His mother, Loraine, 81, of Grange Villa, near Chester-le-Street, has been left devastated by the tragedy.

Speaking outside her home, Brian said: "Ian is as daft as a brush and he has always tried to live life to the full. This was his second holiday this year and the lads grabbed any chance they could to go abroad and enjoy themselves."

Mr Findley, a panel beaterwho ran his own business from a garage in Craghead, was well-known in the area. He leaves a daughter Amanda, 26.

Mr Stafford and Mr Findley were on Bali with another North West Durham man, Kevin McVittie, 42, a self- employed electrician from South Moor. He had stopped off on the way to visit his brother in Australia. He was injured but was able to continue his journey after informing his family he was safe.

Nearly 200 people are thought to have died in Saturday's atrrocity. Among them were British expatriates, including members of an amateur Hong Kong rugby team.

Among the dead was the son of two Sunderland councillors. Clive Walton, 33, son of Conservatives Jack and Lilian Walton, was the team captain