Man wrestled off TUI flight at Gatwick after breaching security and boarding without documents

William Jonzi, 24, reportedly followed a paying customer through the international airport's e-gates and attempted to board the flight with no documents last Wednesday morning.

But his plan to fly on the TUI flight to Palma de Mallorca unravelled after he was wrestled to the floor by passengers before being arrested.

Heroic passenger Jimmy McBride told the Sun Jonzi had been scaring the families on board the aircraft with his erratic behaviour.

He allegedly shouted “I’ve got to get on the plane”, which rang alarm bells in Mr McBride's head and spurred the father from Sussex into action.

“I grabbed him as he got two feet on the plane," Mr McBride said. "He was trying to get on and get towards the passengers.

“He tried to come on with another woman and pretended her pram was his.

“The cabin crew had told him he wasn’t coming on the flight. When he tried to get on, they told him, ‘Sir, we’ve told you, you can’t come on.’

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“I caught him and got him to the ground, but the crew thought it was a fight and told me to get off him, as if I was beating him up for no reason.”

Fellow passenger Dayna White, 29, said the whole ordeal was a "bit concerning" and ruined his first holiday with his child.

Jonzi, of Croydon, appeared at Crawley Magistrates’ Court last Thursday and pleaded guilty to entering the protected security area of an airport without permission, the newspaper said.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £89 in costs.

A Gatwick spokesman said it was a matter for Sussex Police, who were approached for comment.