Passenger's terror after pilot ignores bomb threat note and continues flight across Atlantic

The terrified holidaymaker found the hand-written note in a toilet only 20 minutes into the flight from the Dominican Republic to Newcastle International Airport.

He immediately alerted a stewardess and, when two more notes were discovered, the pilot left the cockpit to see for himself.

He decided the notes were a hoax and decided to continue with the scheduled flight rather than divert to the nearest airport.

The ThomsonFly plane continued its journey back to the UK even after a passenger had found a note saying there was a bomb on board

A woman, who was sitting next to the passenger who discovered the note, told the Northern Echo: "I was absolutely stunned and I was very angry - I just don't know why they didn't divert the plane.

"I had been talking to him all the way through the flight and he eventually told me when we touched down.

"He just seemed to collapse in his wife's arms and we all got off the plane."

The Thomsonfly flight TOM2592 from Punta Cana continued unhindered and landed at Newcastle International Airport on time on Monday morning.

A spokeswoman for Thomsonfly confirmed there had been a "security incident" and said the matter was in the hands of the police.

She said: "Thomsonfly can confirm that TOM2592 from Punta Cana to Newcastle was met by police on arrival as a precautionary measure following a security incident on board on August 4.

"The airline can confirm that passengers and staff were not at risk and all of them have disembarked and continued with their onward journey.

"The matter is now with police and as such we are unable to give more details."

Northumbria Police said three hand-written notes had been found and had "all the hallmarks of a hoax".

"Just after 4.20am on Monday we were contacted by Newcastle International Airport because three notes had been found on a flight from the Dominican Republic which was due to land," the force spokesman said.

"The notes, written on paper towels and left in the toilet, said there was a bomb on board.

"The plane landed safely in a remote area of the airport and a full search of the aircraft and luggage did not reveal anything suspicious.

"This incident had all the hallmarks of a hoax."

Newcastle International Airport said officials had been informed at 4.20am and the emergency services were immediately alerted and scrambled to the runway to await the flight's arrival.

"The aircraft landed safely and was parked on a remote stand away from the terminal building," the spokeswoman said.

"Passengers disembarked safely and police then carried out a thorough search of the aircraft. The incident was stood down at 5.50am."