A RYANAIR flight was delayed by three hours after all passengers were told to abandon the plane following complaints by a group of students.

Flight FR8175, which was heading to Charleroi airport in Brussels from Lanzarote's Guacimeta airport, should have left at 10.30hrs.

But the 66 passengers on board did not get to leave the terminal until around 13.30hrs, say staff.

Ryanair representatives say a group of students were refusing to pay excess baggage fees and began to complain loudly whilst inside the aircraft.

They say they had to call the Guardia Civil and the National Police to remove them from the plane 'for security reasons'.

All other passengers were put on later flights to their destination in Belgium, but the group accused of causing problems have been banned from boarding any future Ryanair flights.