Holidaymakers stranded by aircraft fire

JOJO MOYES

More than 200 holidaymakers last night faced a second night around Glasgow airport after their jet was forced to land with a suspected engine fire after of taking off.

Angry tourists besieged the desk of the tour operator, Sunset, after being told the aircraft was "unserviceable" and they would have to wait until today for a replacement to take them to Tenerife.

Police stood by as harassed handling agents broke the news to furious passengers. The holidaymakers should have taken off around midnight on Saturday night. But they said today they had to wait on the tarmac for two hours before the airbus, operated by Oasis, took off. It was then forced to return within half an hour after an engine fire.

Holidaymaker Robert Hill, 21, from Kilmarnock, Strathclyde, said: "I was in a window seat next to one of the engines and I saw a big explosion and flames coming from it. I did not think anything of it, but other people were starting to get hysterical."

TThe airport said the holidaymakers would be booked into hotels last night.