AIR passengers from the North-East were among thousands across the country stranded last night because of an industrial row at Heathrow Airport.

An unofficial strike by British Airways baggage handlers led to the airline cancelling all its short and long-haul flights at Heathrow, including the 7.20pm service from Heathrow to Newcastle and the 8.10pm flight from Newcastle to Heathrow.

BA flights to and from Heathrow are not due to begin before 6pm tonight.

Yesterday, the dispute also led to long-haul flights from around the world being diverted to regional airports, including three to Newcastle.

An earlier BA flight from Newcastle Airport to Heath-row, the 4.15pm, was delayed "indefinitely". Passengers were given rail vouchers and Metro tickets so they could make their way to London.

Those due to travel on the 8.10pm flight were put up at hotels across Newcastle by BA. Those stranded in London were also offered overnight accommodation.

Planes from New York Newark and Tel Aviv and a Boeing jumbo jet from Tokyo were due to land in Newcastle last night.

Newcastle Airport spokeswoman Wendy Dawley told The Northern Echo: "There has been quite a bit of disruption to flights this evening.

"We have just heard in the last couple of minutes that we are taking three diversions from aircraft scheduled to fly into Heathrow. The passengers arriving are going to be coached or taxied down to London.

"Those hoping to catch flights down to Heathrow are being put up in a number of different hotels across Newcastle.

"BA will keep in touch with them at the hotels to let them know what is happening."

A Durham Tees Valley Airport spokesman said the strikes had not affected any flights to or from the airport.

The wildcat stoppage by several hundred baggage handlers, loaders, cargo staff and other workers was in support of employees of BA's catering supplier, Gate Gourmet, who were sacked on Wednesday in a row over working practices.

BA began receiving reports at 2pm yesterday that staff in the cargo area of Heathrow's terminal 1 had stopped work.

The action quickly spread to terminals 3 and 4 and involved baggage handlers and other workers. At 3.15pm, BA suspended all aircraft movements.

Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, urged BA to put pressure on Gate Gourmet to reinstate the sacked workers.

He accused the US-owned firm of behaving in a disgraceful fashion in the way it sacked so many workers.

The company had unilaterally decided to cut wages and change conditions and had refused to negotiate with the union, he said.

BA outgoing chief executive Rod Eddington said the company was doing all it could to resolve the dispute.

Sacked Gate Gourmet workers accused the company of locking them in a canteen for seven hours on Wednesday without food or water. They claimed a pregnant woman and another female worker who became ill were among those involved.

"They were behaving like a dictatorship. We were locked in the canteen, so we were very upset and scared," said one woman worker.

* The BA passenger helpline is on 0800 727 8000 or visit ba.com.