A fire at Stansted Airport has forced passengers to evacuate and left flights suspended.

According to the airport, a "small fire" broke out in the escape lounge at around 3.30am.

Passengers were evacuated "as a precaution" and barred from going through security, and departures have been suspended until "later this morning".

Despite being quickly extinguished by the Airport Fire Service, large amounts of smoke were produced which took much longer to be cleared.

The latest statement from the airport said: "Following the partial evacuation caused by a fire in our escape lounge, security has now reopened.

"Due to the number of passengers in the area, it may take longer than usual to pass through and we apologise for any inconvenience.

"Please check the status of your flight with your airline.

"We thank passengers for their patience as we worked with the emergency services to ensure the terminal was safe to fully reopen."

Despite having reopened, photos on social media continue to show queues of hundreds of travellers waiting to pass through security.

In a further addition to the travel chaos, CrossCountry trains announced this morning that "all lines are blocked" due to a "fault with the signalling system at Stansted Airport".

This means that trains to and from the airport "may be cancelled or delayed".