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Drunk plane passenger throws prosthetic leg, slaps kid in epic meltdown

A drunk woman on a Thomson Airlines flight from Tunisia began swearing, slapped a child, and threw food at cabin crew before tossing her prosthetic leg at them.

The female passenger, 48, had her meltdown on Thomson Airlines flight 297 from Enfindha in Tunisia bound for Edinburgh in Scotland.

“She was shouting ‘I want cigarettes’ and that she wanted a parachute to jump off the plane,” fellow passenger John Smith, 48, told Edinburgh Evening News.

“She slapped a young girl and then assaulted the cabin crew with her prosthetic leg.

“They took it off her, but she started kicking them with her good leg.

“It sounds funny, but it was not a laughing matter at the time. It was serious. She was totally drunk. It was pretty shocking.

Cabin crew managed to restrain the woman, from Edinburgh, and placed her in handcuffs as the pilot diverted the flight to Gatwick Airport, London, where Sussex Police officers were waiting, The UK Telegraph reported.

“When police came on board to escort her off the plane, people started singing the Hokey Cokey,” Mr Smith said.

“She embarrassed everybody on the flight. A lot of people were upset about it, especially those with children.”

Sussex Police said the woman, who is unemployed, was arrested on suspicion of using threatening behaviour while aboard the flight.

“The flight was diverted into Gatwick after it was alleged the woman had been abusive and had thrown a prosthetic leg and food at cabin crew.”

Passengers said the woman had been involved in an argument at a resort in Tunisia and the bust-up had escalated on the bus to the airport.

At Gatwick Airport, waiting police officers escorted the woman off the plane and took statements from passengers.

The flight scheduled to arrive in Edinburgh at 8.30am Thursday (AEST) finally arrived after the diversion at about 11.30am.

Thomson Airways apologised to passengers for the diversion.

“Unfortunately a passenger became disruptive on board and as a last resort the captain decided to divert the flight to Gatwick. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by local police and the passenger was removed for questioning.

“We would like to reassure customers that their safety is our priority at all times. Thomson Airways operates a zero-tolerance policy with regards to any disruptive behaviour on board and incidents of this type are extremely rare.”