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Manchester Airport was forced to temporarily suspend flights today after a drone was reported buzzing around the area, causing disruption for hundreds of travellers.

All flights were halted for about 20 minutes after the potential drone sighting raised fears that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could collide with a passenger jet.

Some departing flights were delayed and some incoming flights were diverted to other airports while a police helicopter scoured the area shortly after 11:30am.

Flights were delayed or diverted while a police helicopter scoured the area around Manchester Airport

Flights resumed after the police search failed to turn up any evidence that a drone was operating in air space used by commercial airliners.

Manchester Airport opened its second runway to clear the backlog of flights.

A Manchester Airport spokeswoman said: 'Due to a report of a potential drone sighting in airspace near to the airport, some flights have experienced short delays and a small number of flights have diverted to alternative airports while Greater Manchester Police carried out an investigation using their police helicopter.

'Upon inspection, nothing was found. As the safety and security of all of our passengers is paramount, operations on runway one were suspended for 20 minutes.

Radio-controlled drones have skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the growing trend of aerial photography

'Runway two, which was unaffected, will remain open for an hour so normal traffic flows can resume.'

Police continue to investigate the report of the sighting.

Unmanned drones have skyrocketed in popularity thanks to the growing trend of aerial photography, and they have become a serious problem for airports and pilots as many operators are not aware of the rules or dangers.

There have been dozens of reports of drones flying too close to airports or commercial aircraft, and experts say the radio-controlled devices pose a significant threat because they could be sucked into a jet engine.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has successfully prosecuted two UAV operators for safety breaches and it has another three investigations open.

UK aviation authorities have successfully prosecuted two drone operators for safety breaches

John Mayhew, Nats' general manager for air traffic services at Manchester Airport, said: 'Flying drones in the close vicinity to any airport without permission is completely unacceptable, with the reported sighting causing delays to inbound and outbound traffic and the diversion of a small number aircraft to other airports.

'The matter has now been referred to the police.'

Last year a device believed to be a drone came within 20ft of an Airbus A320 as it landed at Heathrow Airport, according to a UK Airprox (aircraft proximity) Board report.

The passenger plane was just 700ft from the runway when the captain reported seeing a small black object to the left of the cockpit.

The object did not collide with the plane and the pilot was able to make a normal landing during the July 22, 2014, incident.

Under CAA rules drones cannot be flown beyond the normal unaided 'line of sight' of the operator, must always be flown at least 164ft (50 metres) away from a person, vehicle, building or structure, and must never be flown within 492ft (150 metres) of a congested area or large group of people, including sporting events or concerts.