Seventeen Londoners have been charged after activists chained themselves to a plane apparently deporting asylum seekers at Stansted Airport.

Essex Police have charged nine women and eight men with obstructing a person engaged in lawful activity and taking part in a demonstration likely to obstruct.

Flights were grounded for around 90 minutes on Tuesday evening when activists blockaded the jet, said to be carrying failed asylum seekers from Nigeria and Ghana on behalf of the Home Office.

Eight landings had to be diverted to alternate airports while Essex Police dealt with the incident.

Activists from campaign groups Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, Plane Stupid and End Deportations said the protest, which was broadcast live on Facebook, was carried out in response to the “brutal practice” of mass deportations.

Police said the arrested group, aged between 23 and 46, lived in the London area, including addresses in Leytonstone, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich.

They have been bailed to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on May 3.