Scared and frustrated passengers told waited for hours amidst a chaotic Heathrow following the foiled terror plot to blow up aircraft over the Atlantic.

By late afternoon, backpacker Sonia Parles, 25 - on her way home after living in Australia for a year - had been waiting all day for information after her flight from Singapore was grounded at the airport.

"I'm on my way back home to Tipperary," she said. "It's not the end to my holiday I had expected. I don't think I'll ever see anything like this again.

"I've been travelling for two days and am very tired. Now it looks like I'm going to be sat here all day as well. I just want to go home."

Philip Henderson, 24, of Green Park in London, told the Hillingdon Times he had been queuing since 7am to find out if he could get on another flight after his to Russia was cancelled.

He said: "They just gave me a telephone number to call but it is constantly engaged.

"It is very annoying. I have to queue now to see if I can get another flight today.

"I've planned this holiday for ages and now this happens.

"I don't hold out much hope of leaving today."

Edgware schoolgirl Rusna Kohli, aged eight, was due to fly from Heathrow to New York at 4pm with her 13-year-old brother Naikee and four other family members.

Their holiday plans were brought to an abrupt halt when they heard that the UK had been put on the highest security alert.

Rusna, a pupil at Holland House in Broadhurst Avenue, said she was frightened by the news and was scared to fly.

Due to travel with her aunt, Nina Anand, 36, and her two cousins, Daman, 11, and Sahib, 13, the young Mill Hill resident said: "I wanted to go to New York really badly, but I was too scared."

Nina, who lives in New York, said: "This morning we were told our Virgin Atlantic flight was still going but we were too scared to go. It's since been cancelled.

"I would never put my kids or family at risk, their safety comes first."

Upon calling the airline, the family were informed that they should make their way to the airport a few hours ahead of schedule and they were not to bring any hand luggage with them.