Man accused of racist Ryanair flight outburst spoken to by police

Plane passenger David Mesher has been spoken to by police investigating the racial abuse of an elderly woman on a Ryanair flight.

Officers from West Midlands Police said they were assisting Essex Police, who are leading the investigation, when they attended the sheltered accommodation where Mr Mesher lives on Thursday.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show a man, believed to be Mr Mesher, calling Delsie Gayle an "ugly black b*****d" and telling her "don't speak to me in a foreign language, you stupid ugly cow".

The incident is believed to have taken place on Ryanair flight FR015 at Barcelona Airport on October 19, before it left for London Stansted.

Essex Police said on Wednesday: "Essex Police was contacted on Sunday, October 21, about a racially-aggravated incident happening on a Ryanair plane while on the tarmac at Barcelona Airport.

"This incident took place on Friday, October 19. A video of which has been widely circulated on social media and covered by media both here and abroad.

"Since the report was made to us, our officers have identified both parties involved and are progressing a number of inquiries."

They added: "There are agreed national protocols to follow when incidents are reported to have happened in another country. As such, we will be conducting an investigation to submit to the Spanish authorities in due course."

Mr Mesher, who lives in a sheltered retirement housing block in Yardley Wood, Birmingham, declined to comment to reporters outside his home.

A spokeswoman for Optivo, which runs the sheltered accommodation, said: "We do not condone abusive behaviour in any form.

"As this matter is now being handled by the police we are unable to make any further comment at this stage."

Two officers from the West Midlands force spent just under an hour at the housing block before leaving without Mr Mesher.

When asked why officers had attended the premises, a spokeswoman for the West Midlands force said: "West Midlands Police officers are assisting Essex Police who have the primary investigation."

Ms Gayle, who was subject to the abuse said she felt "very low" about the incident and it had discouraged her from flying with the low-cost airline in future.

She told ITV News: "I feel really depressed about it. I go to bed and say: 'what have I done?'

"I haven't done anything to attack him, it's because of the colour of my skin I was abused like that."