Thousands of Scottish passengers are facing flight chaos after the runway at Gatwick Airport was closed due to drones being flown nearby.

Flights in and out of the UK's second busiest airport were suspended at about 9pm on Wednesday after two of the devices were seen near the West Sussex airfield.

It reopened at about 3am on Thursday, but was shut again within 45 minutes after a further sighting of drones and remains closed amidst a police investigation.

Morning flights from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow were cancelled on Thursday, while passengers travelling from Gatwick to the Scottish airports were advised to ask their airline for further information.

Following the incident, inbound flights were diverted to a range of UK airports, as well as Amsterdam and Paris.

Gatwick said in a statement: "Gatwick Airport's runway remains unavailable because of drone sightings.

"We have advised all airlines to cancel flights up to at least 4pm this afternoon, while keeping the situation under constant review.

"There is significant disruption at Gatwick and our terminals are extremely busy.

"We are prioritising the welfare of passengers during this very difficult time, and have teams across the airport looking after them as best we can.

"We anticipate disruption to continue throughout the day and into tomorrow.

"Any passengers due to fly today or tomorrow should not set off for Gatwick without checking flight information with their airline.

"We are extremely disappointed that what appears to be deliberate action is affecting journeys at this important time of year.

"We are working tirelessly with our airlines to put plans in place to recover our operation once given the go-ahead that our runway can reopen.

"Once again we apologise for the continued disruption. Safety is our absolute priority."

Around 10,000 passengers were affected on Wednesday night. A Gatwick spokesman said 110,000 passengers were due to either take off or land at the airport on Thursday.

Chris Woodroofe, Gatwick's chief operating officer, blasted the "irresponsible" act and confirmed the disruption will continue for several days.

He said: "The police have 20 units out looking for the operator of that drone, and once they find them, they will bring them to justice, which is five years' imprisonment for endangering an aircraft.

"We also have the helicopter up in the air but the police advice is that it would be dangerous to seek to shoot the drone down because of what may happen to the stray bullets.

"I'd like to apologise to all of the passengers who have been disrupted by this irresponsible act."

Passengers have reported being stuck on planes for several hours while they waited to find out what was going on.

Others used coats and jackets as makeshift blankets after being stranded at the airport overnight.

A pregnant woman was seen sleeping on the floor, while passengers with infants spent the night in the "freezing" South Terminal.

On Thursday, a woman facing delays flying from Glasgow with a disabled traveller asked British Airwaves for assistance.

She tweeted: "Stuck at Glasgow meant to be flying to Gatwick with a connection to Orlando.

"Just been told our flight to London won't be leaving until half 10 instead of seven.

"Any idea where we go from here? Travelling with a disabled person so we can't stay in airport for 24 hours."

The airline responded that it intended to help if it could.

Roz Bell, who got stuck at Inverness Airport, tweeted that she hopes the police track down the culprits responsible.

Another woman claimed that her daughter faced missing her aunt's funeral due to the delays.

Former bank worker Lexie Heath had to be given a wheelchair after the stress of having her flight cancelled exacerbated her heart problem.

The 73-year-old, who lives in London and was scheduled to fly to Glasgow to be with family for Christmas, said she was not used to travelling alone as her husband died five months ago.

She said airport staff had been "fantastic" in looking after her and that she had been stuck on a stationary plane from 7am for around four hours.

She said: "I have a heart problem and when I get stressed it races too fast and sometimes skips a beat.

"I can get a pain down my arm as well, like pins and needles. This stress has really set me off, very much so. My legs just go.

"I'm not that used to travelling alone, it used to be with my husband.

"I'm going back up to spend Christmas with my family. My brother died three weeks ago and now I'll have the extra stress of trying to organise parts of his funeral. I could have really done without this."

A Gatwick Airport spokeswoman stated that airlines were working to provide hotel accommodation or transport for those whose flights were diverted.

London North Eastern Railway has announced that passengers with cancelled flights to Edinburgh can use their tickets to travel home on its trains for free.

Dr Rob Hunter, head of flight safety at the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), said: "The public needs to understand that drones are not just toys and could have catastrophic consequences if they collide with an aircraft.

"These drone sightings at Gatwick are further evidence that tougher laws and enforcement are required to keep drones clear of manned flights.

"That's why we need the registration and education process in force sooner rather than later, so people flouting the law can be caught and prosecuted.

"At the same time, BALPA is also calling for the Government to consider toughening the law to create a larger no-fly zone around airports.

"We need to ensure people flying drones take responsibility for their actions and do so responsibly with the knowledge that if they endanger an aircraft they could face jail."

Gatwick has advised anyone flying to or from the airport, or collecting someone, to check the status of their flight.

Police investigating the incident believe the drones to be "industrial" models.

Sussex Police posted a message on Twitter, which stated: "It is believed that the Gatwick devices used are of an industrial specification. We are continuing to search for the operators."

Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw said police are acting on the basis that it is "a deliberate act to disrupt the airport".

He described attempts to catch whoever is controlling the gadgets as "painstaking" because it is "a difficult and challenging thing to locate them".

He added: "Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears."

Prime Minister Theresa May said that she feels for passengers who have had their travel disrupted.

She told a press conference at Lancaster House: "I feel for all those passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by this drone activity and the action that's had to be taken in response to it.

"Obviously at this particular time of year this is particularly difficult for people.

"We've already passed legislation in relation to the use of drones so it is now, as has been made clear, that the activity that we've seen is illegal and those who are caught endangering aircraft can face up to five years in prison.

"That's legislation we've already introduced and actually we're consulting on further aspects of this including for police powers, but we will continue to work with the Gatwick authorities and police will be working with the Gatwick authorities in order to bring this to a close, such that people will be able to get on to the travel that they were expecting over the Christmas period."

All drone operators must abide by the 'Drone Code', which comes from the Air Navigation Order 2016. This rules that drones must:

If you are flying as part of a commercial enterprise,you must seek permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. This will involve a test of your skill at the controls. A breach of the 2016 Order is a criminal offence.