A BRITISH Airways holiday jet made an emergency landing today after the stench of cannabis filled the cabin.

Passengers were told crew had fallen ill on the 8.15am service to Heraklion, Crete.

7 Fire crews rushed aboard to check out the overpowering smell Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Dad Stuart Barnes, 40, said: “The smell was unmistakable.”

The plane returned to Gatwick after 90 minutes, costing BA £50,000 and causing travel chaos.

Fire crews rushed aboard to check out the overpowering smell.

The cause and source remains unclear.

7 composite bong 737

Stuart, wife Susan, 43, and daughters Rosie, ten, and Olivia, nine were among up to 174 passengers on BA2552 who paid up to £700 for a return trip.

Finance worker Stuart, from Cardiff, added: “There was a faint smell when we got on.

“We were told that they hoped when they put the air conditioning on it would clear, but it got even stronger.

7 Dad Stuart, wife Susan and daughters Rosie and Olivia were on the BA flight Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

“You could tell straightaway what it was.

“Everyone at the back of the plane was saying it smelled of cannabis.

“We’ve been to Amsterdam and we know what it smells like.

“Our daughters could smell it but didn’t know what it was.

7 Passengers were on their way to Heraklion in Crete Credit: Getty Images

“BA have been very quiet at giving us an explanation.

“All they said was the cabin crew was ill from a pungent smell at the back of the aircraft.”

“We were four rows from the back and the whole back of the plane stank.

“The smell was unmistakable.

RELATED STORIES Pot-ted history Drugs and gangs? More like peace, love and togetherness: Inside the lawless town of Christiania Exclusive WEB CHEMISTS PREY ON YOUTHS Confused kids are buying sex-swap drugs ONLINE without a prescription 'WHAT IF POLICE STOPPED ME?' Young dad's horror after finding DRUGS stashed in Avis hire car KEEPING MUM Giving drugs to make a baby sleep on a flight to avoiding nappy changes: Woman shares her ’20 crappy mum confessions’ 'they give foreigners everything' Ex heroin addict who splurged £200 a day on drugs says her handouts aren’t enough

“We have no idea where it was coming from.

“All the passengers said it smelled like weed.

“We were quite concerned about what it was and the crew seemed quite alarmed as well which put panic among the passengers.

“My daughter is afraid of flying anyway and the crew didn’t do much to make us feel better.”

7 Plane was diverted over Paris and passengers spent an hour at Gatwick Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Another holidaymaker Simon Skinner posted on Twitter: “British Airways flight to Heraklion turned back after nasty smell.

“Disappointed holidaymakers.”

@British_Airways flight to heraklion turned back after nasty smell. Disappointed holidaymakers, chance to excel with rapid turnaround? — Simon Skinner (@firstlight40) July 21, 2016

The plane was diverted over Paris and passengers spent an hour at Gatwick before a new plane and crew were organised to fly at midday.

Hundreds in Crete waiting to return to the UK were delayed by up to six hours, sparking compensation claims.

BA also ripped up rotas as the crew had flown beyond their legal hours.

7 Stuart Barnes said the smell on the plane was 'unmistakable' Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

The airline apologised but insisted no one was ill on the flight.

A spokesman said: “Our pilot returned the aircraft to Gatwick as a precaution following reports of an unidentified strong smell in the cabin.

7 The plane returned to Gatwick Airport after alarm was raised Credit: Getty Images

“We are sorry for the delay to our customers’ journeys.”

Last month cops arrested three men trying to smuggle £30,000 of cannabis onto a flight to the UK from Malaga.