Islamic suicide bombers in Saudi Arabia, planning to fly two light aircraft packed with explosives into a British Airways passenger plane, have been arrested before they could release their deadly load, according to The Mail on Sunday.

The Sunday newspaper claims Saudi authorities arrested two pilots near Saudi Arabia’s main airport in the capital Riyadh in the last few weeks.

The assailants were apparently intent on crashing their planes into the BA jet as it taxied down the runway.

An intelligence report quotes Patrick Mercer, Tory spokesman for homeland affair, as saying: “My understanding is that they were found on the flight line and that the plan was to fly them into a passenger jet either about to land or take off.”

Mr Mercer says Saudi authorities tried to cover up the incident near King Khalid International Airport and withheld information from authorities abroad.

A BA spokesman said the flag carrier had no knowledge of the incident and would not be changing flights to or from Saudi Arabia.