British Airways flight diverted from Heathrow after it was struck by lightning

A British Airways plane was struck by lightning on its way into Heathrow Airport forcing the flight to be diverted.

The BA flight from Stuttgart to Heathrow was forced to divert to Gatwick after it was hit by a lightning bolt, according to the Sun.

Passenger Jeco said: "The BA crew were amazing when our flight got struck by lightning on the approach to Heathrow.

"It was shocking. The flight had to divert to Gatwick."

The diverted flight arrived just under an hour late at Gatwick at 2.24pm this afternoon.

Passengers were driven from Gatwick to Heathrow after disembarking, the Sun reported.

A British Airways statement said: "BA919 diverted to Gatwick earlier this afternoon due to weather related conditions in the region.

"The flight landed just before 2pm. Customers were driven from Gatwick to Heathrow."

Most planes are hit by a bolt once or twice a year, according to experts.

The events rarely end in serious damage or injury.