BA cancels Heathrow flights

British Airways cancelled two more flights today amid fears of a new terror plot to bring down a passenger jet.

One of the flights was the now infamous Flight 223 to Washington on Sunday. The other was Flight 263 to Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, scheduled for Monday.

A BA spokesman said: " Following advice from the Government we have cancelled the two flights due to security reasons."

Heathrow has been at the centre of a series of terror alerts since December, with BA having to cancel nine flights. This is the fifth time Flight 223 has been cancelled.

As in previous scares, the decision comes after US security services, believed to be the CIA, picked up background "chatter" between terror suspects which gave details about particular flights.

One security source said: "The US security services will not tolerate any element of risk. In the UK we have dealt with the IRA for 20 years and have established an element of risk management.

"Since 9/11 the US is having to catch up in two years on what the UK has spent 20 years fine-tuning."

A Transport Department spokesman said: "In the light of information received, and in discussion with the airline, the decision was made that these flights should be cancelled. The first priority is always the safety of the travelling public."