A Witney man was one of hundreds who endured "chaotic" scenes at Heathrow's new Terminal Five yesterday.

British Airways was forced to suspend all baggage check-in at the flagship £4.3 billion facility yesterday following a series of problems wrecked what should have been a landmark day at the west London airport.

Travellers were left with the option of cancelling or rebooking their flights or flying with just carry-on hand luggage.

The move completed an utterly miserable few hours for many passengers, for BA and for BAA, the airport operator, with BA having to cancel 34 flights.

Many passengers were left stranded overnight with some finding hotels, but others forced to sleep on benches of the terminal floor.

Passengers hoping to fly out today began arriving early but were met with frustration.

Tony Pascoe, 35, from Witney, Oxfordshire, said he arrived just after 4am with his mother Ann for a holiday to Vienna - her first ever flight.

He said: "None of the desks were open and we were told to stand in a queue. After standing there for God knows how long they opened one and people who had just walked into the terminal began jumping in. It was chaotic.

"Everyone who had been queuing were annoyed and a lot of jostling and arguing started. Then the desk just crashed so everyone was stood there.

"Our flight was due to leave at 6.45am so I stood in one queue and my mum in another. Eventually they told us we weren't going to get on.

"I feel like just giving up and going home but my mum is keen to fly because it is her first ever trip. There were lots of other people in the same situation and we all seemed to be getting the wrong information.

"It is diabolical. I am a frequent traveller and this is the worst experience ever - it is absolutely shocking."

A spokesman for BA said that yesterday's problems - which included delays at the staff car park and at security, as well as log in problems for baggage handlers reporting for duty leading to delays processing customers' baggage - would have a knock-on effect today.

He said: "We have got on extra staff on and people have volunteered to come in both front of house and behind the scenes.

"We are working hard and passengers can now use the baggage drop-in system and we would advise customers to keep checking BA.com for any travel updates."