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A flight to from Tunisia to Edinburgh had to be diverted through Gatwick on Wednesday night after a drunk woman passenger attacked cabin crew with her prosthetic leg.

According to fellow passengers the 48-year-old woman demanded “cigarettes and a parachute” before slapping a young girl then unfastening her leg and swinging it at staff.

The pilot made an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport where the woman was escorted off the plane by police.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “At 10.22pm on Wednesday 30 July a 48-year-old unemployed woman from Edinburgh was arrested at the North Terminal, Gatwick Airport, on suspicion of using threatening behaviour while aboard Thompson flight 297 from Tunisia to Edinburgh.

“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. The woman is being interviewed and is currently in custody at Crawley police station.”

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said: “We can confirm that a Thomson flight bound for its destination was diverted to land at Gatwick Airport on Wednesday night. Two members of the public were taken away by Sussex Police.”

The flight was supposed to arrive in Edinburgh at 11.30pm but did not land until 2.30am on Thursday.

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John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.