A woman threw ''£5,000 in cash'' at a man on an airport runway - after they were escorted off a plane, passengers claim.

The flight had to be diverted after the couple had a fierce argument, onlookers said.

Holidaymakers say troubled flared when they were five hours into the 9.35pm flight from Heathrow to Bangkok on September 30.

They said the couple had a blazing row and the pilot told passengers for safety he would have to turn back and land in Vienna, Austria - which would take an extra two and a half hours.

Videos show police escorting the pair off of the flight - but then on the runway she appears to throw cash at him.

Notes fly in the air and land all over tarmac - before the male and airport workers start picking it up.

Grandfather Andy Singh, 63, was travelling to Thailand for a month-long holiday.

He said: “The lady and the man, they were already intoxicated.

“They kept talking about money, he would say 'she’s got my £5,000 in her bag'.

“The captain said ‘we have to go back to Vienna because [of] staff safety and the passengers’ safety, ladies and gentleman we have got no choice but to get back to Vienna’.

“He said ‘it will take two and a half hours to get back there, and we will decide what to do after that.’

On landing, the couple were escorted off the plane by the police.

Footage shows the man, wearing a light coloured tracksuit and carrying a neck pillow, scowling at Mr Singh for recording.

Andy said: “The police took the lady first.

“He decided after a couple of minutes on the tarmac to grab the bag from the lady, but the lady just threw all £5,000.”

Both were put in a police van, and footage shows an officer trying to pick up some of the strewn cash.

Andy said: “Some of the notes, they were floating away because nobody picked them up, they only picked up the nearest ones.”

Andy, Gravesend, Kent, said all of the passengers have been put up in a hotel and are due to set off again at 5.30pm on Sunday, Vienna time.

Eva Air running the flight have been approached for comment.