EasyJet passenger punched by airport worker in France

A photo circulating online appears to show the man, believed to be a special assistance provider at the airport in south-east France, attacking the man in front of other passengers on Saturday.

A fellow passenger said the man was struck after families had been held up because of delayed flight EZY2122 from Nice to Luton, with little access to information or space to sit down.

Twitter Ads info and privacy Arabella Arkwright, who took the photograph, said the man was holding his baby while his wife vented their frustration to airport staff about the lack of baby food and seats.

"The man with the baby ... went over and talked to the Frenchman and the Frenchman didn't reply, he just smiled and smirked and then whacked this guy on the left side of his face," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.

She said her 64-year-old husband pulled the man off the apparent victim and "frogmarched" him away before police were called. Both men were taken away, but passengers demanded the man with the baby was allowed to board his flight. "When he arrived on the plane, all the plane clapped him," said Arkwright.

An easyJet spokesman said the person in the photograph is believed to work for Nice airport's special assistance provider Samsic, which is contracted to provide workers to help to disabled passengers, including those using wheelchairs.

In a statement the airline said: "EasyJet is very concerned to see this picture and can confirm the person in the photo is not an easyJet member of staff and does not work for easyJet's ground handling agents in Nice.

"We are urgently taking this up with Nice airport and their special assistance provider Samsic, who we understand the person photographed works for."