61 Year Old British Airways first class passenger fined only £13 for filming inside stewardess's SKIRT during a flight'

A British businessman arrested on a BA flight for filming up a stewardess's skirt was let off with a £13 fine and allowed to walk off the same day, sources claim.

Married father-of-two Martyn Vaughan, 61, was flying First Class from Heathrow with British Airways and was arrested when he landed in South Africa.

But sources say he was wrongly charged with common assault, which allowed Vaughan, from Northamptonshire, to take a £13 admission if guilt fine and walk free.

And the arresting officer at Cape Town International Airport is said to have suddenly taken leave as police launched their investigation, assisted by British Airways.

A source told The Sun: 'No-one can find her. People in the commissioners office are running around like blue-a***d flies trying to sort this out. It was a mistake.'

It was alleged that, after a few drinks, the father-of-two is alleged to have pushed the handset under attendant’s uniform as she leaned over to serve another passenger.

Fellow passengers claim Mr Vaughan lit up his £6,000 First Class suite with the phone’s torch app before committing the assault.

Mr Vaughan, believed to be the MD of manufacturing consultancy firm Bradden Associates, was detained when the Flight BA0057 landed in South Africa.

In-flight staff including the captain were alerted and radioed ahead to cops, who met the Airbus A380 jet on touchdown and armed officers arrested him in his seat.

He was banned from British Airways flights for life after the assault on the 26-year-old stewardess - said to be left 'destressed and devastated'.

It was initially reported that he was taken to a Cape Town police station, where he denied the offence and claimed he had no phone on the flight.

But several witnesses stepped forward to confirm they had seen him using a handset.

An investigation has now been launched into why Mr Vaughan, who lives in an £850,000 town house in Towcester, Northamptonshire, escaped more serious charges.

A BA spokeswoman said: ‘We will support the South African authorities with their investigation.’

Constable Noloyiso Rwexana, from South African Police Service Western Cape Media Centre, said: ‘This office can confirm that a case assault is under investigation.

‘According to report the hostess filed a complaint against a passenger on 15 October 2016.

‘Suspect paid admission of guilt fine and it was admitted by Bellville Magistrates’ Court.’