SPILT orange juice, a plane being left “too long in the sun”, and a drunk pilot are among some of the bizarre official reasons for flight delays, according to a study.

A study of thousands of compensation claims by experts has unearthed some bizarre reasons for flight delays and horror stories from UK passengers.

One of the weirdest cases unearthed by FlightDelays.co.uk involved an easyJet trip from Liverpool to Malaga.

A passenger accidentally spilt some orange juice, causing an electrical fault that grounded the plane. One passenger took the airline to court for compensation for their flight delays and was awarded about £345.

Four years previously, Jet2 cancelled a flight to Manchester, claiming the aircraft had spent too long in the sun. A passenger was paid about £400 compensation for the cancellation and the fact the flight was delayed by 24 hours.

Another plane was five hours late after a bat flew into the aircraft as it was landing. An engineer had to be flown from Montpellier-Mediterranee Airport, France, to Luton to complete safety checks after the plane was struck.

Another horror story involved flight EZY7104 from Liverpool to Madrid last July when a passenger won £220.

Passengers were variously told the flight had been delayed because the aircraft was faulty and later that the pilot had turned up drunk.

Steve Phillips, at flight compensation expert Flightdelays.co.uk, said: “We would advise everyone to take the time to look into whether they are qualified to receive compensation.”