British Airways staff tried to ban a passenger from using more than one teabag in a guest lounge at Heathrow airport, it has emerged.

The airline apologised last night, admitting that it recognised Britons had "strong feelings" about how they like their "perfect cuppa" and stressing no official prohibition on teabag usage was in force.

A traveller complained last month after the waitress intervened when he tried to blend two fruit teabags in one cup in the lounge.

Writing on a blog, the customer described how he took an elderflower darjeeling and an elderflower apple teabag, put them into a cup and added boiling water.