Passenger "Starts Fires" on Holiday Jet to Egypt

A passenger has been tackled by cabin crew after starting two small fires on board a holiday jet.

Police have launched an investigation after the incidents on a Monarch service from Birmingham Airport to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.

Staff quickly contained and extinguished the fires during Thursday's flight, and no-one was hurt.

However the plane was left unserviceable, leaving holidaymakers due to fly back to Birmingham stranded.

One delayed passenger told the Birmingham Mail: "The plane was unserviceable because a man set fire to onboard toilets deliberately while also smoking and abusing the cabin crew, terrifying crew and passengers."

They added that the passenger who set the fires was escorted away, but "showed no remorse and verbally abused the passengers whose flight was cancelled".

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Officers from the Airport Policing Unit continue to investigate the circumstances around the incidents.

"At present no arrests have been made but our inquiries are still ongoing."

Monarch Airlines said police were on hand when flight ZB472 - an Airbus A321 with 208 passengers and crew on board - landed in Egypt.

A statement said: "UK authorities have been notified and are dealing with the matter. As the alleged incident is the subject of a police investigation, we are not in a position to comment further."

No arrests have been made.