I would have stopped 9/11 plane hijackers, claims Hollywood hardman Mark Wahlberg

Hollywood "action man" Mark Wahlberg apologised today after he claimed he would have stopped a hijacked plane from crashing on 9/11.

The star of boxing movie The Fighter had a seat booked on one of the flights that were smashed into the World Trade Center by al Qaeda terrorists. Wahlberg changed his plans at the last minute but admits he has been plagued by nightmares ever since.

He said: "If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have gone down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'OK, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'"

His comments to Men's Journal magazine sparked a furious response from the families of those who died on United Airlines Flight 93 - which crashed into a field in Pennsylvania that day, after passengers took over the cockpit and wrestled control from terrorists.

They were hailed as heroes for preventing the plane, which was flying from New Jersey to San Francisco, from crashing into Washington DC. The story was told in Oscar-nominated 2006 movie United 93.

Today Wahlberg, 40, said: "To speculate about such a situation is ridiculous to begin with, and to suggest I would have done anything differently from the passengers on that plane was irresponsible. I deeply apologise to the families of the victims that my answer came off as insensitive. It was certainly not my intention."

Deena Burnett-Bailey, whose husband Thomas was one of the passengers who stormed the cockpit of United 93, said: "Does Mark Wahlberg have a pilot's licence? It's insignificant to say what you would have done if you weren't there.

"The plan for Flight 93 was foiled by heroes. For him to speculate his presence could have stopped everything is silly and disrespectful. Sounds like someone is grandstanding."

On September 11 2001, father-of-four Wahlberg, who is married to model Rhea Durham, was to have been on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles before changing his plans. It was flown into the World Trade Center's North Tower with 92 on board. Almost 3,000 people died in the day's atrocities.

The star of Planet Of The Apes and Iraq war film Three Kings, has previously said: "I've had probably about 50 dreams about it."