A Ryanair plane has skidded off the runway at Prestwick Airport after hitting a patch of ice this morning, but no one was injured.

A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: “It happened just after 9am as it landed. It slipped on to the grass. No one was injured and all the passengers have been taken to the terminal.”

Passenger Alex Paton told the BBC: “Everyone was pretty shocked. I don’t think most people realised we were in a field.

“It wasn’t until we were off that we realised how deep the wheels had gone into the field. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t go into the field that long before it stopped.

“It was almost like the back end of the plane slid out a bit.”

He added: “I think the original plan was to pull the plane out of the field but, when you see it, there’s no way you’re pulling that plane out easily.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how long the runway would be closed.

The accident added to problems for air passengers attempting to reach Scotland’s largest city this morning, with Glasgow airport also suffering delays owing to the weather.