Panic passengers 'could be sued'

The passengers set off from Bangkok airport on Sunday

British travellers could face legal action after almost 300 people refused to get on an aircraft with a fuel leak.

They were let off the Bangkok-Gatwick Phuket Air plane at Sharjah airport, in United Arab Emirates, at 0100 BST.

Dozens of passengers screamed as "gallons" of fuel "spewed" from the plane's wing, some witnesses said.

But the airline has threatened legal action against Monday's action, saying no-one was in danger and accusing some passengers of causing panic and affray.

Take-off was aborted three times after the plane refuelled en route from Bangkok.

The airline said the flight experienced no mechanical problems but ground staff overfilled a fuel tank.

Most of the passengers eventually boarded a re-scheduled Phuket Air flight at 1030 BST on Monday.

There must have been 50 or 80 people screaming, absolutely panicked Dr Peter Hill Passenger

But 30 passengers touched down at Gatwick Airport on Monday morning after taking an alternative flight with another airline.

Peter Hill, who was on board with his family, said "fuel was spewing out of the right-hand wing".

Dr Hill, from the Isle of Wight, told the BBC everyone was worried the fuel would ignite.

He said: "There must have been 50 or 80 people on the right-hand side of the plane screaming, absolutely panicked."

An engineer was called to sit beside a passenger and see the fuel for himself, he said.

When the engineer's face "went white", he said, the plane was stopped. Marcus and Charlotte Walsh, from Manchester, were on the flight returning from their honeymoon.

They said the panic began on the initial take-off.

"The fuel was just leaking off the end of the wing and one of the passengers stood up when we were at the end of the runway shouting 'stop the plane, stop the plane'," said Mr Walsh.

One of the passengers stood up shouting 'stop the plane, stop the plane' Marcus Walsh

But Gordon MacFarland, Phuket Air's UK sales and marketing manager, labelled some of the things said by the passengers as "crazy".

He said one passenger jumped up and shouted "fire", causing other passengers to panic.

"Are passengers really qualified to know what's going on? There was no danger to passengers," he said.

In a statement the airline said steps were "immediately taken" to clear up the fuel spillage.

It said the flight was cleared for take-off and taxiing for departure when "a small number of passengers left their seats and moved towards the front of the aircraft causing affray".