An Oxfordshire teenager has spoken of the terror when she and her school mates were ambushed by armed bandits during a trip to Tanzania.

The Wheatley Park School pupils were set upon by a six-strong gang who shot at their minibus as they prepared to climb Mount Meru in the African country.

The bandits fired at the radiators of two minibuses in the tour party, causing them to stop, before climbing aboard and stealing cash, watches and jewellery. None of the students, aged from 16 to 18, were hurt and they are now back home with their families.

Michelle-Lana Aldworth, 16, of Wheatley, told the Oxford Mail yesterday: "I saw three men with guns and one with a knife. They picked on one of my friends, Libby, and my other friends were crying.

"They left my jewellery but took my £5 Asda watch, money, passport and camera. I just felt sick. Obviously I was afraid -- terrified. But it could happen anywhere."

Michelle's mum Vikki was shocked to hear of the ordeal.

She said: "I just wanted her to come home.

"It was horrendous. I thought if it happened once, it could happen again. It was an awful situation for them all to be in.

"It was a worst case scenario, but they dealt with it well."

Michelle was one of nine pupils in the minibus, along with teacher Kevin Murphy and a tour guide from the London-based charity World Challenge, which organised the four- week trip.

Mr Murphy, 30, a top Oxfordshire runner with Headington Roadrunners, was preparing to help lead the group up the world-famous volcano when the hijack happened.

His mother Marie Murphy, of Woodford Green, Essex, said: "I'm just so relieved Kevin wasn't injured or even killed. They were all very lucky. It could have been a lot worse."

The group called off plans to scale the mountain, but returned the next day to make it to the top.

World Challenge spokesman Chris Gallant said: "We have had a lot of discussions with the students and they see this as being part of the adventure.

"No-one was hurt or injured. Two minibuses were shot at, but the people responsible did it in such a way as to stop the vehicle and cause no other harm.

"It all happened extremely quickly. It's part of experiencing what it is like to live in a developing country and the students understand this."

The Foreign Office advises travellers in Tanzania to be "particularly vigilant" in public places, including tourist attractions.

It said most visits were trouble-free, but the level of armed and violent crime was increasing.

Mr Gallant said: "Things like this are happening every day in London, but people are not being advised not to go there."

He said World Challenge organised 300 school trips a year and he could remember only one other similar hijacking incident, which took place last year in another country.

As previously reported in the Oxford Mail, the students spent about 20 months fundraising raise £3,000 each for the trip.

The charity arranged for students to be issued with cash and supplies immediately after the robbery, said Mr Gallant.

John Mitchell, Oxfordshire County Council's education spokesman, said: "Oxfordshire County Council has confidence that all its schools make judgments about trips abroad with great care.

"The council requires that risk assessments are made prior to a trip being made, either by the school concerned or by the organisation arranging the trip.

"Fortunately, incidents such as this are extremely rare and, fortunately, nobody was hurt."

Last month, Headington School pupils headed to Mongolia on a trip organised by World Challenge.

Wheatley Park pupil Michelle has not been put off by the ordeal.

She wants to pursue a career in travel and tourism and is hoping to start a course at the Oxford College of Further Education in September.