Airport closed in London as protesters surround 'deportation plane

Takeoffs and landings have temporarily been halted at London Stansted Airport after pro-migrant activists stormed the runway in an attempt to keep a "deportation flight" of failed asylum seekers grounded at the Essex airport.

According to the Independent, a spokesman for the airport said that takeoffs and landings had been temporarily stopped "as a precaution" to allow police to check no protesters had made it onto the runway.

A statement from the activists said eight protesters from End Deportations, Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants and Plane Stupid were surrounding the plane.

It said they were blocking a "mass deportation 'charter flight' to Nigeria and Ghana".

The group calling themselves Stop Charter Flights - End Deportations was broadcasting live from the protest on Tuesday evening.

An airport spokesman said: "There are a number of protesters on the north side of the airport away from the passenger terminal, away from the commercial side of the airport, where the private terminals are."

"We understand there is a protest around an aircraft, but we don't have details of the plane. As a precaution flights have been suspended while police carry out an inspection. Essex Police believe they have contained all the people involved in the protest but as a precaution they are doing a double check. Once they have done that they will give the all clear to air traffic control," the spokesperson added.