A 21-YEAR-old Durham student was desperately trying to find a way back home from New York last night after embassy officials advised her to leave.

Katie-Jane Bailey left her home in Crook, County Durham, in July to take up a six-month posting in Manhattan with international fashion company The Ralsey Group.

The former Durham High School girl could not have been more excited with her job in offices on the 49th floor of a building near to the World Trade Centre's twin towers.

But the office window, which at first had provided such an exciting panoramic vantage point, turned into an unimpeded view of a nightmare when on Tuesday morning Miss Bailey and her colleagues watched in horror as the planes crashed into the towering buildings.

It was while being evacuated from her building that Miss Bailey, a fashion and textile student at Nottingham and Trent University, managed to get a call through to her businessman father, Brian, to reassure her family she was all right.

Since then her father and mother, Anne, have spoken to their daughter by phone on a number of occasions.

"She has given us graphic descriptions of the turmoil in New York, of the quiet streets, empty shops and people walking around with photographs of their missing loved ones,'' said Mrs Bailey yesterday.

Miss Bailey also told of the closed restaurants, streets empty of cars and everywhere covered in thick dust.

She has also described the growing anger in New York over the delayed appearance of President George Bush.

And though consoled that their daughter is safe, and thankful for her phone calls, Mr and Mrs Bailey have nevertheless been frantic with worry.

They have been comforted by the many telephone calls expressing concern, including a number from their daughter's university offering to help with return arrangements.

And while Miss Bailey had been uncertain about coming home, by last night it seemed she may have little choice.

In her most recent call to her parents, she told them that she had visited the British Embassy yesterday afternoon where she was urged: "We strongly advise you to make every effort to get off American soil.''

She also confirmed that there had been queues of hundreds of people waiting outside the embassy.

But with no available flights back to the UK, Katie-Jane is looking into the possibility of getting to Canada and flying home from there.

"We know she will find a way,'' said Mrs Bailey.

"We just want her safely home.'