Gatwick Airport has descended into chaos this afternoon after a plane was forced to abort its takeoff while hurtling down the runway.

Firefighters were seen hosing down the Boeing plane which was moments away from taking off bound for Vancouver when pilots had to stop it at high speeds.

A number of flights had to be diverted to other airports while on final approach and others have been cancelled entirely.

The British Airways Boeing 777-200ER was speeding down the runway at more than 100 miles an hour when the pilots were forced to hit the brakes.

Passenger Justene Miller was among those travelling to the Canadian city, to see her sister-in-law who is ill.

Her partner James Hilton, who has spoke with her since the incident, said: "They were just taking off. The front wheels were up and then they slammed the brakes on.

"From what I understand there was a problem on the flight deck.

"The fire engines then came out and they had to hose down the undercarriage which had heated up significantly due to the high-speed emergency stop."

Up to 336 passengers were on the flight, which lined up on the runway at 11.17am. It was due to arrive in Vancouver at around 9.30pm BST.

Instead these passengers were taken back to the terminal where they remain after the firefighters made the aircraft safe. It is not yet clear whether a plane is able to take them to Vancouver.

"It sounds like it is chaos,"  James added. "Which is normal for Gatwick but even greater right now because there are no other planes.

"She is desperate to get to Vancouver because her sister in law is critically ill. She can't get through to British Airways and the clock is ticking."

The runway at Gatwick was closed for around an hour while emergency services responded.

Dozens of flights have been cancelled, delayed or diverted as a result by several airlines operating out of the airport - including routes to Nice, Podgorica and Copenhagen.

A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said: "Safety is our top priority and the dedicated airport fire service swiftly attended to support the aircraft. A number of flights were diverted. The runway is now open and operating as normal.

"We advise passengers to speak to their airline for the latest information on their flight."

British Airways has been approached for comment.