A Delta Airlines flight heading to New York from London was forced to land in Ireland after an emergency was declared.

The airline confirmed a mechanical issue with flight deck window heat, diverting to the "nearest suitable airport". 129 customers, three pilots and nine flight attendants were onboard.

Emergency vehicles were on standby for landing to inspect the brakes after the Boeing diverted to Shannon Airport in County Clare. The aircraft quickly descended to 10,000ft, landed a short while after.

The aircraft is now being evaluated and teams are looking at all options to get customers to their destination as quickly and as possible.

The flight DL4 departed today from London Heathrow at 16:45 UK time before the crew declared the emergency (squawk 7700) after about 2 hours of flight, while cruising over Atlantic at 34,000ft.

A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines said: "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel plans. As nothing is more important than safety, the crew of Delta flight 4 followed standard procedures to divert to Shannon, Ireland after observing a mechanical issue. The flight landed safely and customers deplaned at an arrival gate."

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