Airline and Bermuda Government health officials have launched an investigation after dozens of passengers and several crew fell sick on board a British Airways flight which arrived in Bermuda on Thursday night.

At least 30 children fell sick and the Saturday night London-bound flight from Bermuda had to be cancelled because six crew were too ill to fly back.That flight left last night while last night's regular flight was postponed until tonight after more staff became sick.

Sickness also affected members of the Bermuda girls gymnastic team which flew from Bermuda to London on Thursday night.

Mother Beryl Brown said her 12-year-old daughter Hannah King had suffered sickness and headaches over the weekend while another girl in the team had been too sick to compete.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann said he couldn't comment until he had reports from staff but he said food poisoning was more likely cause than something transmitted by water or air.

Thomas Caulfield, 15, was one of many children returning to Bermuda on Thursday for the half-term break from private schools in Britain on the flight packed with students.

He had been hoping to enjoy time with friends and family but ended up on a drip in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

"It does slightly spoil the holiday," said Thomas. "We have such a short time back, it's the only full weekend. I don't know what caused it.

"I had the chicken and there was a choice between that and the beef. I didn't have that much but had a lot of bottled water."

Thomas was one of many who fell prey to the sickness on Friday night/Saturday morning.

His mother Elizabeth Caulfield said: "He was violently sick and continued to be sick every 20 minutes after that.

"When he was being so violently ill you feel so helpless, there's nothing you can do. I feel it was some sort of infection from the British Airways flight. Unfortunately the hospital didn't take a sample or blood tests."

She said her son lost five pounds. "He slightly built. We weigh him when he comes home, it's one of the things we do."

Warwick resident Val Cheap's two 14-year-old twin boys also went down with the bug.

"It started at about one o'clock in the morning and went on and on, they were so sick they just wanted to die," she said.

Since then she has heard from other families and believes at least 30 children in economy class were effected. She said she knew of four children who avoided the airline food who did not fall ill and she urged affected parents to tell their GPs about the symptoms.

She stressed she did not have a vendetta against British Airways and said it was a good airline.

Fellow parent Sue Roblin said her 16-year-old daughter Rachel had suffered headaches and fever.

British Airways Bermuda spokeswoman Sallie Singleton said: "I can confirm that Saturday's British Airways flight from Bermuda to London was not able to go out because crew were ill shortly before the flight was due."

She said passengers from the Thursday flight from London had reported ill although she could not give numbers.

"British Airways is working very hard investigating and doing what they can to come up with an answer."

She said six crew had been affected but could not say how many passengers had fallen ill.

Mrs Singleton said British Airway's medical specialists in London are now investigating.