1,700 Britons stranded

Thousands of British travellers spent a day stranded on both sides of the Atlantic yesterday as power cuts in the US continued to disruptinternational flights.

More than 1,700 Britons were stuck at New York's JFK airport after British Airways cancelled seven flights - six for Heathrow and one for Manchester. A Toronto-Heathrow flight was also scrapped, a BA spokeswoman said.

The power cuts have had a knock-on effect across the globe with many planes, crew and pilots in the wrong places. As a result, five BA flights due to leave Heathrow yesterday were cancelled, affecting 1,400 passengers. They included two bound for New York, one for Philadelphia, one for Montreal and another for Toronto.

Passengers who had already checked in have been offered hotel accommodation, while others were advised to re-book or seek a full refund.

The stranded passengers included those on a New York-bound Virgin Atlantic jet that was forced to turn back three hours from Heathrow on Thursday night.