Witnesses said officials accompanying the man tried to subdue him as best they could.

Lucy O’Sullivan, 33, from Detling, Kent who was travelling with her husband, Terence, said she felt threatened.

“The worst-case scenario was that we weren’t going to get off that plane alive because we didn’t know who the person was, what the circumstances were or anything. There was nothing explained to us. It was very daunting.

“When we got on board, the seats were moving so he was obviously kicking or thrashing out. I thought someone was having a fit.

“But when we got up close we could see people were restraining him.”