In the cold pre-dawn of windswept Stansted, the hostage crisis ended quietly.

Just after 0315GMT a lone hijacker, guided by a torch, walked calmly from the Ariana Boeing 727 jet.

With his hands raised in surrender, he dropped to his knees on the damp concrete before being joined by an accomplice. Both were taken away for questioning by waiting armed police.

Relief for passengers

Then, in an orderly procession, about 85 hostages - more than half of those on board - stepped slowly down the steps of the aircraft to freedom.

Women and children came first, followed by the men, all with arms raised.

It appeared the four-day crisis was ending but then the steps retracted back into the plane, leaving 65 people still on board.

Two-and-a-half hours later the rear steps of the plane were again lowered.

Moments later the final group of hostages, relief written across their faces, filed from the aircraft.

Three coaches were used to ferry all the passengers to a hangar in a cargo area of the airport.

Uncertain future

The passengers were taken to a reception area at a nearby hotel where police said they would all be allowed to rest and receive food and medical attention.

The British Red Cross has laid on games, books and stuffed toys for the children who had been on board the plane since Sunday.

Officers from Essex Police plan to interview each passenger in turn to, in order to establish what happened and, not least, to try and sort the hijackers from the hostages.

Specially trained interpreters have been drafted in to help police communicate with the passengers, the majority of whom cannot speak English.

Meanwhile at Stansted, where flights were severely disrupted only on Monday, London's third airport is returning to normal, having fulfilled its designated role as the landing site for any hijacked plane entering Britain.