A secret smoker may have caused a fire which spread panic through a packed plane and caused an emergency landing, it emerged today.

Investigators believe someone having a crafty cigarette was a likely cause of a possible fire in a waste bin which caused fear to spread among the 134 passengers on the Boeing 737.

The flight had been on route from Glasgow to Amsterdam when what was believed to be a fire broke out in the waste in a kitchen at the back of the aircraft and a concerned pilot landed the plane at Newcastle Airport.

A member of the cabin crew discharged an entire fire extinguisher into the bin after seeing what she thought to be smoke. She alerted the pilot but the pilot grounded the plane when passengers became increasingly alarmed.

The plane landed at Newcastle Airport shortly after 8am where nine fire engines and eight ambulances were on stand-by on the runway.

The passengers were evacuated as firefighters rushed to the scene. The cause of the fire, or even if it actually was a fire, is being investigated and bosses are considering the possibility that it was started by a lit cigarette. Smoking in prohibited on the aircraft.

Easyjet spokesman Toby Nicol said: "We diverted into Newcastle because there were reports that there was smoke from a bin the rear kitchen. We are investigating that it could have been hot fat or a cigarette but it could also have simply been dry ice from a plastic container placed in the bin.

"The aircraft made a precautionary landing and the fire crew boarded. Anyone could get into the kitchen while the three members of the cabin crew were occupied elsewhere. We will conduct a thorough investigation."

Firefighters from around the region joined forces with the airport's own crew to tackle the blaze.

A brigade spokeswoman, said: "The early indications are that the 737 aircraft had a fire in a bin in the galley. The fire was extinguished before emergency services boarded. The cause is being investigated."

A passenger aircraft was sent to Newcastle from Luton Airport to take the passengers the remainder ot the journey. The relief flight took off at 11.30am for Schipol Airport.