Walter Finch
A DRUNK British holidaymaker who forced a Spain-bound Ryanair flight to make an emergency landing has been identified.
Daniel Ashley-Laws was filmed being hauled off the plane by heavily armed French police after allegedly trying to open an emergency door mid-flight on Friday, The Sun reports.
The Alicante-bound flight FR8379, which had departed from Luton Airport, was forced to divert to Toulouse after the stag do group caused chaos.
Yet not long after being dragged off, the builder posted photos from Benidorm to his social media appearing to mock his arrest.
Terrifying footage shows the tattooed man being dragged off by his ear as he fights with officers, climbing onto seats and shouting ‘no f***ing way’ as police attempt to restrain him.
It quickly went viral, being picked up by news outlets around the world, including in Spain and France.
A police source told The Sun: “He was next to an emergency door, and trying to open it. It was terrifying for everybody else on the flight.
“The pilot had no other option except to land the plane.”
The builder and his son were among five men removed by France’s elite Air Transport Gendarmerie Company (CGTA) when the plane landed in Toulouse on Friday evening.
One man, believed to be Ashley-Laws’ son, can be heard shouting “They started it – that’s my dad!” as officers escort the pair from the aircraft.
READ MORE: Drunk British tourist punches police officer in the jaw- just hours after arriving in Mallorca
According to police, Ashley-Laws’ blood alcohol level was so high it took several hours before he could be questioned.
But instead of facing justice in a French cell, the builder was subsequently pictured partying in Benidorm.
One image shows the bald-headed troublemaker giggling in a Hawaiian shirt as two friends yank his ear, mimicking the French police.
The caption reads: “Benni final boss – some French lads lol madness.”
Under French law, endangering the safety of an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of around €60,000.
Being drunk on a plane carries a maximum two-year sentence and a €4,000 fine.
READ MORE: ‘Drunk’ British tourist falls off boat and is seriously injured by propeller in Mallorca
Fellow passengers claimed the stag do group had been ‘heavily boozed up’ and drinking duty-free alcohol in the departure lounge before boarding, with some ‘barely able to stand up’ before take-off.
After the men were removed, the flight finally departed Toulouse-Blagnac airport at 10.15pm and continued to its original Alicante destination.
A Ryanair spokesman said: “This flight from London-Luton to Alicante was diverted to Toulouse after several passengers disrupted the flight.
“The crew then requested the intervention of the police, who met the plane upon arrival at Toulouse airport and disembarked these passengers before the flight returned to its original destination.”
The airline added it has a ‘zero-tolerance policy for unacceptable passenger behaviour’ and would continue taking ‘strict measures’ to address such incidents.
It remains unclear whether Ashley-Laws or any of his group face charges over the incident.
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