Alert as plane goes off runway

Tyne and Wear Fire Service said the aircraft "had gone very slightly off the runway" but remained on the asphalt.

No-one was in injured in the incident, group manager Keith Carruthers said.

Regular firefighters assisted the airport fire service in dealing with the emergency, which happened on an incoming Boeing 737 shortly after 9pm.

Mr Carruthers said they helped 196 passengers to disembark using the stairs. "There were no injuries reported from any of the passengers," he said.

"They seemed fine in all honesty, it's just they were disembarking in a different position. Most of them did not realise anything was different. The plane had gone very slightly off the runway.

"It's still on the hard-standing Tarmac, it's not on the grass.

"With the icy conditions we are still in attendance assisting the airport fire service get the plane in the correct position."

Airport vehicles with orange lights could be seen around the plane, which had no visible sign of damage.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch will launch an inquiry into what happened.