THE PILOT of a holiday jet radioed for police assistance when fighting broke out among a drunken group of passengers as the aircraft was about to take off.

The Air 2000 Boeing 757 was taxiing on the runway at Manchester Airport when nine men started brawling among themselves threatening other passengers.

The trouble began when the men hurled obscenities at stewardesses as they began to show passengers routine safety procedures.

Passengers who tried to remonstrate with the men were threatened and then stewardesses ran to the cockpit of the Boeing 757 and asked the captain to stop the aircraft. The pilot immediately radioed the control tower to say he was turning back and requested police to meet the aircraft. Four policemen boarded the aircraft when it arrived back at Terminal Two. The men were removed from the aircraft and taken to airport police station. After two hours of questioning six were released and three others detained.

A police spokesman said that the men are all from the Liverpool area. He added: "They had all been drinking heavily before arriving at the aircraft and were abusive to both staff, passengers and cabin staff. The pilot did the right thing in turning back. This was a four hour flight to Greece. Imagine the mayhem that could have been caused if he had let them fly."

The men are likely to face charges of causing harassment and distress to passengers which carries a sentence of five years imprisonment and a £5,000 fine and being drunk on board an aircraft which carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and a fine of £5,000.

The holiday jet AMM 366 to Heraklion in Greece finally took off 80 minutes behind schedule. Air 2000 said the delay cost the airline £2,000 in additional fuel and airport fees.

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