A flight from Manchester Airport was delayed for seven hours after a confused passenger reportedly managed to open the emergency exit after mistaking it for the toilet door.

It meant the emergency chute was deployed and the departure had to be postponed.

A spokeswoman for Manchester Airport confirmed the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight was delayed following the drama at Terminal 2 on Friday night.

The airline was due to push back from T2 when a female passenger reportedly opened the rear emergency door of the PIA jet.

Some 37 passengers had to be off-loaded - although not via the chute - while engineers came to the scene.

The aircraft was able to resume its journey to Pakistan seven hours later.

Reports that the airline was on the runway when the incident happened are incorrect, according to officials at Manchester Airport.

PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar told the Pakistan-based The Express Tribune that 'there was no threat of any kind'.

The M.E.N. has contacted PIA for a comment.