A plane has reportedly hit a drone while landing at Heathrow Airport.

The British Airways flight from Geneva was struck when it approached the west London airport at about 12.50pm yesterday.

The Airbus A320, which was carrying 132 passengers and five crew members, landed safely.

The pilot reported the object – believed to be a drone – to aviation police at Heathrow after landing.

The incident is believed to have been the first of its kind in the UK.

A spokesman for British Airways said: “Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight."

"Safety and security are always our first priority and we will give the police every assistance with their investigation.”

Flying a drone near an airport is punishable by up to five years in prison, with rules also firbidding people from taking them above 400ft.