The parents of four students who were in France at the time of the terror attack that shook Nice have spoken of their relief as they welcomed them home today.

Giovanni Hollis, Corrie Cross, Shane Krueger and Yusef Bushara arrived at LF Wade International Airport on the British Airways flight returning from a l’Alliance Francaise des Bermudes-sponsored French exchange, staying in Cannes with host families.

They had been in Nice, a neighbouring city, just days before July 14, when a terrorist mowed down revellers, killing 84 people at Bastille Day celebrations.

The students, who attend Warwick Academy and Saltus Grammar School, were held in lockdown in Cannes’s Lycee Carnot school for three days to ensure their safety but were able to spend the last days of their trip with their host families.

Cathy Hollis, mother of Giovanni said she felt “sick and very concerned” when she heard the news of the terror attack but soon found out her son was safe.

She told The Royal Gazette: “I was concerned but stayed calm: I had had a lot of conflicting emotions. I had a message letting me know the children were safe but they had been back and forth between Cannes and Nice. I’m very happy they are back.”

Corrie Cross, 17, who attends Warwick Academy, had been watching a fireworks display in Cannes before the terror attack happened and said she had a suspicion about something happnening because of recent attacks in Paris.

She said: “I got home and my dad messaged me. I was so shocked and really sad and disappointed. I did have a feeling something could happen because of what happened in Paris so it was quite surreal.”