Six people fainted on board a British Airways overnight flight from Newark Liberty Airport to Heathrow yesterday, prompting emergency crews to check the plane for hazardous materials. Police said nothing suspicious was found on board after the plane was searched by emergency teams in protective gear. The six people were treated by ambulance staff on board the plane and allowed to continue their journey. No one required hospital treatment.

The Boeing 777 aircraft with 216 passengers and 14 crew on board landed at Heathrow's Terminal Five shortly before 07:00 and was boarded by emergency teams, including firefighters. The crew had alerted authorities at Heathrow that the passengers had fainted and might have been sickened by chemical fumes.

A BA spokesman said the medical teams were called as a precaution and the cause of the fainting has not been determined. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said firefighters ran tests to make sure no dangerous fumes were being released and the results were negative.