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RAF fighters were ­scrambled to intercept a passenger jet over Britain amid fears it had been hijacked.

Dozens of people on board a flight to Birmingham watched in terror as Typhoons carrying live ammo closed in on their aircraft.

The terrorist alert started when air traffic controllers could not make contact with the plane’s captain as it entered British ­airspace over the North Sea.

Fearing the Scandinavian airliner might be used in a 9/11-style attack, they contacted the RAF.

Two Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Leuchars in Scotland to intercept the jet before it got near populated areas.

A defence source revealed that the pilots flew “very, very close” to it in an attempt to spot any terrorist ­activity on board.

The source told the Sunday Mirror that one of the fighter pilots was asked by RAF controllers if he thought the plane’s crew had spotted him and replied: “I think they have, they are taking photos of me.”

Crew on the flight from ­Copenhagen then realised air traffic control had not been able to get in touch because their radio was tuned to the wrong ­frequency.

But they were still ordered to land at Glasgow Prestwick and ­escorted in by the fighters.

Departures from the airport were suspended while police raced to the scene and grilled cabin crew about what had happened.

The plane was grounded for an hour before being ­allowed to fly to Birmingham.

The incident happened as UK defence and aviation chiefs ­remain on high alert after the Boston Marathon bombings. The blunder is thought to have cost the RAF ­almost £150,000.

A Ministry of Defence ­spokesman said: “We can confirm that Typhoon aircraft from RAF ­Leuchars were launched on April 18 to investigate a civilian aircraft which had lost radio contact with air traffic control.”

A spokeswoman for Scandinavian Airlines said: “We are investigating how this happened.”