Southend Airport has been rated as London and the South East's most accessible to disabled passengers.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) awarded the airport a Very Good rating alongside 16 other airports, however Southend was the only airport linked with the capital to receive the accolade.

The rating comes as a stark contrast to Stansted Airport, which was amongst the four lowest ranking airports told to make improvements.

The report is the CAA's third annual review of accessibility, and covers the period of April 1 2017 to March 31 2018, covering the amount of time people wait to receive assistance, the level of satisfaction with different aspects of the service, and the quality of consultations with disability groups and charities.

Commenting on the report findings Glyn Jones, chief executive officer of Stobart Aviation, owners of Southend Airport said: “We are very proud to have received a ‘Very Good’ rating, reflecting the hard work and pride that the London Southend Airport team put in to making this such a great facility.

"We want to make sure people enjoy travelling through our airport and it is an efficient and easily accessible experience, as we offer quick access to London and a wide range of European travel destinations, with our Dublin route also providing ongoing connectivity to the USA.”