A FORMER teacher last night described street shootings, burning cars and scenes of chaos as he tried to flee violence in Libya.

Tim Eyres, 62, from North Oxford, hitched a ride with the Portuguese military after he was stuck with crowds of desperate people at Tripoli Airport.

He has now described the British Government’s response as “slow off the mark”.

Mr Eyres lived in the Libyan capital for three years but is now wondering if he’ll ever be able to return.

He said: “It was complete chaos, I just couldn’t see how to find a way out.”

The former teacher was working as an educational adviser for CfBT in Libya but said no-one, including the British Embassy, could have foreseen how quickly the situation would escalate.

He said: “Last Monday, there were commercial flights with British Airways and others leaving Tripoli and we were being told everything was fine.

“But by Tuesday, all the flights were cancelled and we were being told to leave as soon as possible.”

Mr Eyres heard shooting outside his house three nights running and saw the Congress building on fire and the streets littered with burning cars.

He decided to get on the next flight but, without working phones or Internet access, was unprepared for the chaos he was confronted with.

He said: “As we drove to the airport, we went through a number of checkpoints where we were greeted by soldiers with AK47s.

“And when I got to the airport, I went ‘oh my gosh’. I couldn’t believe it.

“The doors were closed and there were crowds of people trying to get in.”

Inside the airport, thousands more people were crammed, trying to find non-existent flights out of the country.

Mr Eyres, who previously worked for Banbury Road-based Regent Oxford as an English teacher, spent 12 hours in the airport before getting on a Portuguese military flight with a friend.

Although there was a British presence in the airport, the first UK flight did not leave until 24 hours later.

He said: “The Portuguese were fantastic. They let me and my Egyptian friend on board with his pregnant wife, even though they had no European visas. We were all sat in this Hercules plane, exactly like you see in films. And when the wheels finally left the Tarmac, there was a big cheer of relief.”

Mr Eyres flew to Sicily, before getting commercial flights to Rome, Heathrow and arriving home last Wednesday.

He said: “I think it all sank in when I was coming back past Headington Hill and all the shops and people were there, the same as they had ever been.

“I was one of the lucky ones. Two of my colleagues working in the desert had to camp overnight when they heard looters were coming.

“And my friend and his wife saw a body in the street.”

Mr Eyres hopes to return to Libya, where he left all his belongings, and many friends. For now, he will continue working in the UK.

He said: “I think the British Government were certainly slow off the mark, and lessons will be learned. But no-one knew how fast it would escalate.”

Protests broke out in Libya on February 15 and are currently ongoing.

It is believed thousands of people have been killed in violence between leader Colonel Gaddafi’s army and anti-Gaddafi protesters.

More than 800 British nationals had been rescued since February 23. Fewer than 150 remained there last night.