Armed robbers have stolen diamonds £30 million from Brussels Airport, according to reports from Belgian state broadcaster VRT reported.

Eight men launched a coordinated raid on the diamonds while the gems were being loaded onto a plane.

Two vehicles carrying four armed men drove up to a security van near the Swiss passenger plane late on Monday evening, officials said.

“The men were armed and masked.

“There were no shots fired and nobody was injured,” a spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor told Reuters.

Both vehicles sped off after the robbery and one of them was later found, said officials, who would not comment on what was taken.