The runway at Gatwick airport has been closed for the second time in hours following repeated reports of drones flying nearby, causing travel chaos for passengers as the Christmas getaway begins.

Flights in and out of the airport were suspended at about 9pm on Wednesday after two drones were sighted near the airfield.

Gatwick announced that the runway had reopened at about 3am on Thursday, but just 45 minutes later it was shut again following further sightings. The drones were seen in the air again at 7am.

Some passengers have reported being stranded on planes for several hours as they waited on the tarmac, while other flights were diverted away from the airport.

#GatwickDrones | We are carrying out a joint search w/ @Gatwick_Airport for the operators of #drones sighted at #Gatwick. Public safety is paramount and we will take all available actions to disrupt this deliberate act. There are no indications to suggest this is terror related. pic.twitter.com/J36d0Xzo2G

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Source: independent