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A plane bound for the UK was delayed after a security alert over an Iranian Teesside University student writing Arabic in a notebook.

Schoolchildren alerted cabin crew after seeing the man writing in Arabic, while waiting for take off.

The easyJet service from Amsterdam to Newcastle was held up by more than two hours as around a third of a 45 strong group of 15 and 16-year-olds, believed to be from a school in Northumberland, were taken off the aircraft.

Technical support worker Adam Robson, 21, who was sat next to the man, told of the moment the drama unfolded.

“The guy had a notebook and people were looking over at it as it had both Arabic writing and English words.

"One of the students called a flight attendant over and pointed it out,” said Adam, from Newcastle’s West End, who had been on a romantic weekend away with his girlfriend Lauren.

“She went away, but just as we were about to take off there was a kicking and banging on my seat from behind us and the student was having a panic attack.

“He went from the window seat into the aisle and ran to the back of the plane.

“The next think we know the pilot has come on and said for safety reasons we were going back to the terminal.”

Adam said he and other passengers were kept aboard the aircraft as a number of the pupils and their luggage were taken off the aircraft - and that temperatures in the cabin soared to 30 degrees.

“The attendants had to bring us cups of cold water because it was so hot,” said Adam.

The flight, on Monday, eventually took off, with Adam chatting to the man, who he said seemed “completely harmless.”

“It turns out he was an Iranian masters student at Teesside University and the reason he was in Amsterdam was because his wife was studying there as she’d been unable to transfer to a North East university.

“He makes the trips regularly and he said he always carries his notebook, which he showed me.

"It had some Arabic, but the further through you went the more English it had as he had written down sections of newspapers and was using it to teach himself more of the language.

“He was really genuine.

“Thankfully he wasn’t aware of it and he didn’t understand what was going on.”

On arriving back in Newcastle Adam said he helped the man, whose name he did not know, make his way to Central Station so he could catch a train back to his home in Middlesbrough.

The pupils who got off the flight returned on another easyJet flight which landed at Stansted yesterday.

Do you know the student on board? Call the Gazette news desk on 01642 234262 or email news@eveninggazette.co.uk