Bird forces jet to land

The Easyjet plane was in the air for ten minutes

A pilot of a passenger plane bound for France was forced to land after a bird flew into one of the aircraft's engines.

The Easyjet flight, with 119 passengers and a baby on board, took off from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport at 1300 GMT bound for Nice.

Ten minutes into the journey, the pilot contacted air traffic control to say he suspected a bird had struck one of the engines of his Boeing 737.

Liverpool Airport spokesman Robin Tudor said the plane made "a perfectly normal landing" and there was no need for an emergency evacuation.

Damage

"The aircraft is currently grounded at Liverpool. It appears to have sustained quite a lot of damage," he added.

A spokesman for the budget airline Easyjet said: "He [the pilot] took the precaution of landing the aircraft and touched down at 1320 GMT.

"The diagnosis proved correct and a single bird had hit one of the engines.

"The aircraft is likely to be out of action for 24 to 36 hours and may actually need a new engine."

No-one was injured although the airport was put on full emergency, with staff backed up by Merseyside Fire Service and Mersey Regional Ambulance.