At least 10 British Airways and EasyJet flights taking holidaymakers from Schiphol to London Gatwick were cancelled on Thursday because of the chaos caused by a drone pilot at the English airport.

The police have reportedly sent in snipers in an effort to bring down the drone, which has left 800 flights disrupted and the runway closed until at least 4pm. Christmas travellers have been told it may take several days for flights to get back to normal.

Some 10 flights due to leave Gatwick for Schiphol have also been cancelled.

According to the Daily Mail, flights scheduled to land at Gatwick have been diverted to Schiphol as well as Bordeaux, Paris and Shannon as well as the majority of airports in Britain.