How a toddler's tantrum brought BA flight to a halt

As every parent knows, no two-year-old likes toeing the line. But when little Marcello Ferrand decided he didn't want to do up his seat belt on a British Airways flight from Milan, he grounded the plane and delayed the journey of more than 100 passengers.

Marcello's tantrum began as the Airbus A319 bound for London on Sunday was proceeding to the runway. When he was asked to fasten his seat belt, Marcello crawled under his seat.

Cabin crew crowded round Marcello, his grandmother, Mariella DeNatale, 70 – who was also not wearing a seat belt – and her husband, Peter Van Schalwyk. But neither Marcello nor his family would pay any attention to the crew's increasingly insistent requests.

The captain finally decided to delay the flight, after which the family was taken off the plane by airport police.

When the plane arrived at Heathrow at 11.45am – 45 minutes late – minus Marcello and his minders, Marcello's father, Nick Ferrand, 41, who owns an interior design company in London, said he was left "fearing the worst".

Meanwhile his family was travelling back to London after paying Alitalia £300 for tickets. They had been visiting Milan because Marcello's mother, Margherita Gardella, 39, the deputy fashion editor of Harpers & Queen magazine, had been attending fashion shows.

Ms DeNatale complained that the airline had been heavy-handed. "The police came aboard, checked our passports and then took us to a waiting car," she said. "I have flown all over the world and never had an experience like this. "

British Airways said the incident had deteriorated because demands from cabin crew and a plea from the captain were ignored.

A spokeswoman explained: "The cabin crew had completed their usual safety demonstration and one crew member spotted the child and adult, who did not have their belts on.

"The crew asked them three or four times to put the belt on, but the adult refused to comply with the demand, which is a legal requirement.

"She was also offered help with the child by cabin crew, as we realise that children generally do not like being strapped in, whether to a pram or a airplane seat, but she refused that offer of help."

The spokeswoman added: "Safety is the cabin crew's first priority and it is imperative for all passengers, including children, to be wearing a seat belt during take off and landing and when the seat belt sign is on."

A BA source denied that cabin crew members had been rude or angry towards the passengers but added that they would have been "fairly forceful" in their demands. The wearing of a seat belt is a legal requirement on all domestic and international flights.