First flights take off from Heathrow after fire sparks a day of chaos

FLIGHTS from Heathrow finally resumed last night after a fire brought Britain's biggest airport to a standstill, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

- By Michael Knowles Home Affairs Editor and Stephen Beech

Chaos engulfed the West London site after two explosions ripped through an electrical substation in nearby Hayes, wiping out power to the airport.

Travellers across the globe faced huge delays and a desperate scramble to reach their destinations.

A Heathrow spokesman last night said eight long-haul flights were set to leave the airport from 7pm, including two to South Africa, one to Saudi Arabia and one to Australia, after power was restored.

The police investigation is being led by counter-terrorism officers, but the Transport Secretary insisted this was because they had the resources - rather than due to suspicions of sabotage.

Heidi Alexander said: "The counter-terrorism command has specific capacities that mean that they are used to conducting investigations at pace, and it's really important that we identify the cause of this quickly.

"There are no suggestions at the moment of foul play. But you will appreciate the investigation keeps an open mind, and our priority is identifying the cause as soon as possible."

Last night, Met Police Commander Simon Messinger said: "At this stage there remains no indication of any foul play. The investigation into the cause of the fire remains in its early stages.

"After initial assessment, we are not treating this incident as suspicious, although inquiries do remain ongoing.