Last night's flight from Bermuda to the UK was night-stopped at short notice as the volcanic ash cloud forced the closure of Gatwick Airport.

Most of the 103 would-be travellers from last night returned to their homes, while the remainder were booked into hotels; British Airways advised passengers to check their flight status on ba.com with major delays expected as a knock-on effect.

Gatwick was due to be shut for several hours, with BA unable to say when last night's flight would be able to make its belated departure.

Spokeswoman Sallie Singleton said last night: "As the Civil Aviation Authority has just closed London airspace, BA 2232 due to depart from Bermuda this evening has had to be night-stopped at short notice.

"Like all airlines flying through London airports, British Airways will be experiencing significant disruption to operations on Monday. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight on ba.com. We apologise for the inconvenience caused, but the situation is beyond our control."

Heathrow was also shut because of the no-fly zone imposed as the ash cloud drifted south. Flights were also grounded in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland while, earlier, restrictions were in place in major airports including Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. According to the BBC in the UK, British Airways said airlines should be able to decide whether it was safe to fly, as the current approach was "overly restrictive".

But the CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said: "We are all working flat out to keep flying safe whilst minimising disruption from the volcano."