Nine American teenagers were arrested at Heathrow Airport after causing chaos on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles. The group, believed to be from wealthy families, used fake identification to purchase alcohol before boarding and then drank it during the transatlantic journey.
The incident occurred on 14 July on flight VS008. The teenagers were described as 'screaming and running amok' by teachers and flight crew, prompting pilots to issue an emergency alert. Upon landing at Heathrow, police boarded the aircraft and arrested the nine individuals.
The teenagers had their mugshots and fingerprints taken, and their Electronic Travel Authorisations were revoked, ending their plans to attend camps across Europe. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests and warned that the teenagers could face jail terms.
Initially, Virgin Atlantic refused to fly the group back to the US, but later relented. The airline reportedly sent the teenagers to separate US cities and informed their parents, some of whom are said to be sports stars, to collect them.
