Police negotiators have restored calm on a hijacked Afghan plane after the dramatic escape of the pilot and three crew members.

The overnight escape caused tension but the situation has returned to normal, police said.

They are questioning the four, hoping to gain fresh information on conditions inside. Police have already established that the hijackers are carrying handguns.

The incident came amid growing speculation that the motive for the hijack is an attempt to gain asylum in the UK.

Essex Police assistant chief constable John Broughton confirmed on Wednesday the hijackers had made "no specific demands beyond house-keeping requirements".

Click here to watch live coverage of the hijack.

The familiar routine of recent days has now been re-established, with hot food and medical supplies being delivered to the plane, in a quiet corner of Stansted Airport, near London.

The crew members jumped from a cockpit window and ran to safety at 2300 GMT on Tuesday.

It is thought they climbed down a rope ladder behind the backs of their armed captors in what police described as a "spontaneous escape".

Four hours later a flight attendant was pushed down the steps. He was treated for a minor cut on his forehead.

It was several minutes before the escape was noticed by the hijackers and negotiators said they had to work hard to restore calm.

Police said they were unable to speak to the hijackers at all for about an hour afterwards.

At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Assistant Chief Constable Joe Edwards said: "There has obviously been tiredness and some frustration among those on board.

"Negotiations took place throughout the night, very sensitive negotiations, and the situation appears to be a lot more settled now.

"Up until last night everything had been conducted in a very calm and businesslike manner.

"There was a period when it was less calm during the early hours of today but we have now been able to return to the previous situation."

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's ruling Taleban movement has arrested 10 people in charge of security at Kabul airport over the hijacking.

Up to 10 armed men and 156 hostages remain on the plane, which arrived at Stansted on Monday morning. The hijackers' demands are not known.

Mr Edwards said the four escapees were the 54-year-old captain, the 50-year-old second captain, the 43-year-old first officer and the 54-year-old flight engineer.

All four are believed to be of Afghan nationality. A further nine crew remain on the jet, although it is not clear if any of them can fly the plane.

Seeking asylum

An official from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has arrived at the airport, fuelling speculation that an attempt to seek asylum in the UK is the reason behind the hijack.

In all, 14 people have left the plane since it landed in the UK.

Eman Omar, a solicitor who represented a gang responsible for Britain's last hijack crisis, in 1996, said she believed the Stansted group were "highly likely" to be seeking asylum in the UK.

This has further been supported by reports from the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) news agency.

Airline head Mullah Hamidullah, quoting an Ariana airline steward released in a stopover in Tashkent, told AIP there appeared to be a large group on the aircraft of up to 40 men, women and children, who could be involved in an attempt to get political asylum.

The Boeing 727 was hijacked during an internal Afghan flight on Sunday. It landed twice in Central Asia, where at least 10 passengers were released and the plane refuelled.

Several hours later, it stopped in Moscow, where another 10 passengers were freed.

Also:


Pilots criticised for fleeing
Hostages 'face horrific ordeal'
Who are the hijackers?
Negotiating with hijackers
Stansted's hijack history