In the UK police have arrested two men after a Pakistan International Airlines plane travelling to Manchester was diverted to Stansted Airport.

The plane which was carrying 308 people was intercepted by RAF fighter jets over the North Sea.

The flight from Lahore was diverted to Stansted Airport after a disturbance on board. A witness speaking in Urdu to Pakistani station Geo TV said two men tried to enter the pilot's cabin.

Other witnesses among the people on board said the pair made a number of threats.

"There was a conflict between two passengers after one of them got into a confrontation with the stewards," passenger Shahid Yaqoob told Pakistan's Express News.

"The two middle-aged passengers who previously had the altercation were simply asked to come with police who had boarded the aircraft. They were then handcuffed and taken away."

Zohaib Sattar was awaiting the arrival of his wife and father, who he spoke to on the phone shortly after the plane touched down at Stansted.

"They have taken two people off the plane and are checking the plane all over," he said. "My father said there was no warning or threat. All of a sudden, the plane just turned around."

RAF Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled when the plane, a Boeing 777, sent out an emergency code which alerted the British Ministry of Defence and the police.

Flight PK709 was due to land in Manchester at 1.30pm and was heading west towards the airport when it was suddenly re-routed near York. It headed back out to the North Sea before travelling south to Stansted.

Passengers were originally told they were being diverted because of bad weather.

An Essex Police spokeswoman confirmed "An incident has occurred on an aircraft. Police and partners are responding."

Mashood Takwar from Pakistan International Airlines said that that 25 minutes before landing Manchester air traffic control had contacted the pilot after receiving information from British security services.

The aircraft is being held in an isolated stand at Stansted but the airport is operating as normal.

Umaria Nauman was on the flight and says passengers were not told exactly what was happening.