UK intelligence showed explosion on crashed Russian plane was 'significant possibility', ITV News told

Information gathered by UK intelligence officers showed a "significant possibility" that the crashed Russian passenger jet was brought down by an explosion, the British Ambassador to Egypt has told ITV News.

Speaking to ITV News presenter Mark Austin in Sharm el-Sheikh, John Casson added that he could not say for sure when everyone still stranded at the resort would be able to return home.

He revealed he had been in the room when the information was shared with government ministers - and said they had no choice but to act accordingly.

A total of 224 people were killed when the Russian plane crashed over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh international airport.

While investigators have still not ruled out a technical fault being to blame, intelligence "chatter" picked up by security forces around the world have led authorities to believe a bomb may have been on board.

The UK government suspended flights on Wednesday, only reinstating a limited number of 'rescue' flights back to the UK on Friday.