A British Airways flight has been struck by a suspected drone as it began to land at Heathrow Airport.

Aviation police are investigating reports, made by the aircraft's pilot, that a plane travelling from Geneva, Switzerland was hit as it came into the London airport at around 12:50pm on Sunday.

Flight BA727 landed at Heathrow Terminal 5 safely with 132 passengers and five crew on board, police said.

British Airways said the Airbus A320 was examined by engineers and cleared to take off for its next flight following the incident.

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A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "A pilot on an inbound flight into Heathrow Airport from Geneva reported to police that he believed a drone had struck the aircraft.

“It transpired that an object, believed to be a drone, had struck the front of the aircraft.”

No arrests have been made and inquiries continue.

The Civil Aviation Authority said: "It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment."

British Airways said in a statement: "Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight.