Ryanair row as passengers claim they are forced to call POLICE during a 11-hour flight delay

Irate passengers who were stuck on a grounded Ryanair plane for more than three hours called police to beg for help to get off the jet.

Dismayed holidaymakers claimed they were left without food or water while they waited on the aircraft at Stansted Airport.

A policeman boarded the plane and led the passengers into the terminal.

The travellers said they resorted to calling the boys in blue because airline staff would not allow them to disembark.

Video footage shows angry passengers arguing with cabin crew during the night-time stand-off.

One person can be heard pleading: “There is a baby on board.”

In total the flight to Porto was delayed by 11 hours before finally taking off.

It was scheduled to leave at 8.30pm but passengers did not begin boarding until shortly after midnight.

The officer arrived on the jet at around 3.25am and helped take people back into the terminal about 20 minutes later.

He said it would give them “some time to stretch your legs”.

The video footage shot on a mobile phone by a passenger shows a woman at 3.50am, saying: “We have just got off the plane now after we had to call the police 50 times.”

At 6am, the weary tourists were told to get back on board.

But they were soon shaking their heads again as the flight to Portugal was held up for another two hours while they waited in their seats. It finally lifted off at 8am.

Ryanair has apologised for the delay – caused by bad weather – at the Essex airport but disputed allegations made by customers.

The firm said: “The claim that passengers had to call the police is untrue – the captain called the police.”

Essex police confirmed that they were alerted to the situation by the captain and passengers on board.

Ryanair said: “This flight was delayed by the weather disruption and a subsequent fuelling delay at the airport.

“After approximately two hours waiting for fuellers, the captain requested the handling company (Swissport) to allow the passengers into the terminal which was locked...

“When Swissport failed to arrive, the captain requested the police to let the passengers into the locked terminal.”

Ryanair added that cabin crew provided water to passengers during the three-hour wait on February 15.

SOURCE-IRISH MIRROR