THE mother of a Teesside man has told of her agonising five-hour wait to hear that her son had survived the tragedy.

Margaret Wright, 47, of Elgin Road, Thornaby, was overcome with fear as she watched Tuesday's events unfold a short distance from where her son, Andrew Platts, was staying.

The 26-year-old, along with four friends, had stopped off in New York en route to the wedding of Teesside couple Michael Manders and Nicky Dent, in Florida Keys.

Mrs Wright said: "I first heard about the situation at about 2.15pm, and it was after 7pm when Andrew rang.

"Before that, we didn't have a clue whether he was alive or dead. The call was quite brief, and I felt really sick even after I had heard from him. I felt relieved, but at the same time really guilty because of all those who died.

"I just can't wait for them to come home."

Sue Sibley, whose son Matthew, 26, is also among the group, said: "Basically, we did not know where they were but common sense prevailed and we thought that five young lads wouldn't be in the business centre.

"It was a great relief when my son rang and said everyone was okay."