Up to 1,000 Liverpool fans 'left stranded in UK'

As many as 1,000 Liverpool fans have been unable to make it to Kiev for tonight's Champions League final due to a spate of last-minute flight cancellations.

The Reds have previously voiced concerns that the Ukrainian capital is inadequately prepared to stage the European showpiece, with many fans finding transportation and accommodation difficult to come by or prohibitively expensive.

Many fans with tickets for the game had planned to travel out from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport this morning but were informed by tour operator Worldchoice Sports last night that three of its flights to Kiev had been cancelled.

One fan - 75-year-old Ernie Ashley - has been to Liverpool's last 12 European finals in a row but is now unable to make it 13 after being caught up in the flight chaos.

"This would have been the thirteenth final for me. I was in bed at seven o'clock because I had to be up early for my taxi at 3am," he told the Liverpool Echo. "I got a call at 10 past seven saying the flight had been cancelled. The girl was in tears telling me and I was in tears with her to be honest with you.

"I'm just so sad that there's a ticket here and there are some good lads that have not got one. I'd love to go down to the airport and give it to a genuine fan but you don't know in this day and age - they might sell it over the odds and it would come back to me. I could lose my season ticket. I've been watching them for 68 years, I don't want that to happen."

As many as 200 more seats are expected to be empty at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium tonight after Real Madrid failed to sell out their full allocation.