More than 150 winter sun seekers have had their Christmas holiday plans ruined after a bungling baggage handler crashed a track into their plane fording it to be cancelled.

Passengers, including two couples on their way to Las Vegas to get married, on the 6.45pm BMI flight to Heathrow were belted in and ready for take off when they felt a bump.

After an hour of rumour and questioning staff about what was wrong they were told that a baggage vehicle had slammed into the back of the 320 Airbus and the pilot was waiting for a damage report.

They were then forced to wait another hour before being told to get off the plane, go back into Durham and Tees Valley Airport and collect their baggage.

Journalist Ian Lamming 42, was fuming after he missed his connecting flight to Singapore from London.

Speaking from Durham and Tees Valley Airport, he said: "I can't believe what has happened - It's an absolute farce.

"Everybody has missed their onward flights. Nobody knows what's going on. There are no extra flights - I really don't know what we are going to do."

Lindsay James, 30, and her partner John Appleby, 39, are supposed to be getting married in Las Vegas on New Year's Day but their dream wedding hangs in the balance as they have already missed their onward flight from Heathrow to the U.S.

Lindsay, an office worker from Sunderland, said: "We are really upset. There is no information - nothing!

"Nobody knows what is going on. We have been here since three o'clock this morning and now we are having to wait in a queue.

"There is a rumour going around that we may be able to get on a later flight or possibly tomorrow. We are keeping our fingers crossed but it's just devastating it really is.

"We are supposed to be getting married in the Flower Chapel. It's always been my dream.

Tracy Gardner, 25, and her fiance Christopher Vickary, 26, are also planning to tie the knot in Vegas.

Tracy said: "It's just not nice. I want to prepare for my wedding day and they have had me standing in a queue for about three hours.

"There's no information, nothing. All we know is that the flight has been cancelled and they don't know whether there will be another one.

"I should be on my way to San francisco by now -- not in Teeside airport.

"We had all of these plans and now we will have to cancel them. We are going to have to waist a fortune. We had all these trips planned but because we are late we are going to miss them.

Durham Tees Valley Airport have been contacted but say they are currently unable to comment.

All telephone lines to BMI are currently busy and passengers have therefore been unable to contact the air carrier.

A spokesman for Durham and Tees Valley Airport, said: "The 6.45am flight to Heathrow was cancelled this morning due to technical problems however I am currently not able to confirm what they were.

"The passengers are currently being booked onto other flights and two coaches have been hired to ferry people down to Heathrow.

"There is a problem with the East Coast Mainline on the railways so we are not able to book people onto any trains.

"Because it is Christmas most flights are fully booked and I believe that the operator is having trouble booking them onto other flights.

"However I believe that they are making some progress."