Liverpool fans stranded by Ukraine flight problems

LONDON (Reuters) - Around 1,000 Liverpool football club fans have been left stranded following the cancellation of flights to Saturday's Champions League final in Ukraine's capital, Kiev.

Chartered flights had been lined up to transport supporters to the game against Real Madrid.

But operator World Choice Sports was forced to cancel them after not being able to secure landing slots at Boryspil Airport, it said on its website.

Liverpool fans have been frantically trying to make last-minute alternative travel arrangements.

"My 18-year-old son's flight to Kiev has just been cancelled by World Choice Sports. He is devastated. Anyone got a seat on a private plane?" asked Twitter user Raf B.

Supporter Chris Bolland commented: "I am gutted, to say the least. I am absolutely disgusted and there is nothing I can do about it."

Many fans booked with the tour operator owing to the expense and difficulty of getting into Kiev.

Those who have made it to the final have admitted to paying up to $7,000 to see their team in action.

The club said in a statement on its website that around 1,000 fans have been affected by the travel chaos. In total three flights have been cancelled.

A statement released on World Choice Sports' website on May 24 said: "With deep regret we can not get a flight on the 26th May from Liverpool or Manchester."

But help may be at hand in the bulky form of former heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko who is nowadays the Mayor of Kiev.

Liverpool mayor, Joe Anderson, has been talking to him in an effort to resolve the problem and said on Friday he was talking to a carrier that may be able to fly two or three planes to Kiev by the early evening on Saturday.

(Reporting by Coran Elliott; editing by Stephen Addison)