A Thames Valley team of rescue workers were left behind in England after a mix-up over the mercy flight to India resulted in them being told to go to the wrong airport.

The team of ten volunteer rescue workers from the Thames Valley Medical and Rescue Unit, based at the former airbase at Upper Heyford, near Bicester, were set to travel to India on Saturday afternoon.

They were preparing to take 22 cases of rescue equipment to East Midlands airport only to learn that the flight had already left RAF Brize Norton earlier in the day.

Terry Carter, chief executive of the rescue unit, said: "I was driving down to Upper Heyford when I got the call there was a mix-up.

"I couldn't believe it. There we were getting ready to go to East Midlands, only to learn that the flight left from Brize!"

Civil Defence co-ordinator Patrick Stanton said it was his job to tell the teams to go to the East Midlands airport.

But nobody from the Department of Overseas Development told him of the change and he was unable to alert some of the rescue teams in time.

He said: "There has been a lot of rushing around and time is of the essence. In situations like this, mistakes occur."

But about 60 people from various aid and rescue organisations did get the message to go to RAF Brize Norton and they were able to board the flight to India.

A spokesman for the Department of Overseas Development said there had been a breakdown in communication.