Moment Ryanair flight stormed by police after man caught smoking in loo on plane

31 May 2023 , 20:04

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Moment Ryanair flight stormed by police after man caught smoking in loo on plane

Photographs captures police frogmarch a Ryanair passenger off the aircraft - after he was caught smoking in the plane toilet.

The man, wearing flip flops, was hauled off the plane after it arrived at Manchester Airport yesterday.

Passengers also returning from Palma watched on as the tourist, wearing a grey t-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap, was taken to the ground by two officers.

Cabin crew then told the other passengers they were free to leave the aircraft.

"I was really pleased because they'd named and shamed the person. If you're willing to have a smoke and put 180 souls on board lives at risk, then you should be named and shamed," one dad who was on the flight told Manchester Evening News.

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Officers with Greater Manchester Police were waiting at the airport (MEN)

This was the moment a man was hauled off a plane at Manchester Airport after smoking in the cabin toilets (MEN)

"It (the man was smoking) was literally about 20 minutes after take-off.

"One of the flight attendants could smell smoke coming from the toilet. They took all his details and then announced it to the whole plane."

He added that the man allegedly smoking looked "relatively calm" but that the rest of the flight had been left "on edge".

"There were a few people not happy on that plane, I'll tell you," he said, adding that there were a number of families on the aircraft.

"I was with my two daughters who are seven and ten.

"They were pretty frightened."

Flight attendants noticed the tourist smoking in the aircraft loo (MEN)

Passengers who saw the man leave with police say the incident 'frightened' children (MEN)

The passenger added that Ryanair's cabin crew were "fantastic" in how they handled the incident.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "The crew of this flight from Palma to Manchester (May 30) called ahead for police assistance after a passenger was found smoking onboard.

"The passenger was removed from the aircraft by local police upon landing at Manchester Airport." It's understood the passenger was not arrested as Ryanair did not pursue prosecution.

Stephen Topping