Rat forces London-bound Air India plane to turn back

An Air India plane flying to London has been forced to return to Mumbai - after a rat was spotted on board.

Flight AI 131 travelling to London on Wednesday was over Iran when someone on board said they spotted the rat.

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According to the BBC, the airline said that although "the presence of the rodent was not confirmed", the decision to abort the flight was a precautionary measure.

Rats can sometimes get on board planes with catering and other supplies and, as well as health issues, can pose serious technical hazards if they chew through wires.

The Guardian reports that passengers continued on to London on another aircraft.

The original plane would be fumigated and checked before being put back into service, said the airline.

Speaking to ABC News, a spokesman said: "Air India gives utmost importance to safety. Our engineering team is investigating the incident.

"A standby aircraft was made available to fly the passengers to London. The aircraft with the suspected rodent will be fumigated as per procedure in such cases of rodent sighting."