Passengers on a British Airways flight complained of the smell after a fellow traveller died shortly after take-off, reports claim. The dead body of a woman in her 60s was reportedly stored in a heated galley on board the plane for more than 13 hours.

The aircraft was travelling from Hong Kong to Heathrow, with pilots deciding to press on to the London airport rather than turning back, it is claimed. A British Airways spokesperson confirmed the death of a traveller and said staff followed all procedures correctly. Fliers reportedly complained about the odour on board the Airbus A350-1000 as it neared Heathrow.

A source told The Sun that staff held a "discussion" about what to do with the body, with cabin crew rejecting the flight deck's request to lock it in one of the plane's toilets.

They said: "So they had to isolate the body, wrap it in materials, and move it to a galley at the rear of the plane.

"The galley had a heated floor, which some crew had overlooked, and towards the end of the flight there were claims that a foul smell was present in that region."

The source added that both BA crew and the deceased passenger's family travelling on the plane were "distraught".

They said many wanted to return to Hong Kong, but as the flier had already died, it was "not viewed as an emergency".

Some crew on board Sunday's BA32 flight are believed to be off work with trauma, according to The Sun.

British Airways confirmed it is "supporting" all staff involved in the flight.

A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "A customer sadly passed away on board and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.

"We are supporting our crew and all procedures were correctly followed."

Police were reportedly waiting for the flight as it touched down at Heathrow, with passengers instructed to remain in their seats for 45 minutes while officers carried out inquiries.