A British man aboard an Emirates flight from Manchester to Dubai was restrained by airline staff last week after lighting a cigarette while intoxicated.

A witness told the Manchester Evening News that the man, in his early fifties, had been drank steadily in the hours between take-off and the incident on December 9.

“This guy was a drunken buffoon," the witness said. "Everybody was disgusted.

“I fly 150,000 miles a year and have never seen anyone light up on a plane.

“This has really hacked me off. These kinds of people need restricting from travelling with the general public because they are a nuisance.