Image copyright Rob Hodgkins Image caption The flight was diverted to Toulouse

Airline Jet2 has handed a lifetime ban to a disruptive passenger who forced a flight from Belfast to Ibiza to divert to Toulouse.

The male passenger was travelling with a group that was "aggressive towards the crew and fellow passengers" on Friday, Jet2 said.

A spokesperson for the airline said such behaviour "will not be tolerated".

The man was removed from the plane with the help of police at Tolouse-Blagnac Airport.

"It's very clear that consuming alcohol illicitly contributed to this behaviour", a spokesperson for Jet2 said.

Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2, apologised to passengers travelling on the diverted LS397 flight.

"We will not under any circumstances tolerate this type of disgraceful behaviour on board our aircraft," said Mr Ward.

"We will be taking further action in support of our crew to ensure [the passenger] is held accountable for his actions and indeed [he] has already received a lifetime ban from future Jet2 flights."

'Unusual diversion'

Flight LS397 left Belfast International Airport at about 15:30 BST on Friday.

It was due to land at Ibiza Airport at 19:35 local time but was diverted to Toulouse Airport due to "the deplorable behaviour of a particularly disruptive customer", according to Jet2.

The airline's statement said that the passenger's behaviour was "particularly unnecessary" towards one of the crew and he was also "aggressive and unruly in a vicinity where other families with young children and customers were sitting."

"In consultation with the captain we had to take the unusual decision to divert the aircraft as the situation on board escalated and he was taken off the aircraft with the assistance of the police in Toulouse," the airline said.

Jet2 said that as part of its "OnBoard Together" campaign, it will continue to call for action to better control of the sale and consumption of tax free goods purchased at airports.

It is not clear whether the passenger is being held by police in Toulouse or whether he has been charged with any offence.