Actor Sid Owen has alleged that he was assaulted by another passenger on a flight this week.

Sid claims he got into a row before takeoff with a man sitting in front of him on a British Airways flight from Dubai to London on Wednesday. The man wanted to recline his chair but Sid objected, reports The Sun. Both men refused to be seated apart and continued to argue before the man slapped him, Sid said. [caption id="attachment_393268" align="alignnone" width="468"] Sid as Ricky Fowler[/caption]   "We were at the gate when he came storming up the aisle shouting at a male steward, ‘Someone’s just slapped me’," a passenger who was on board told the publication. "He was extremely red, gesticulating and agitated." Both men were removed from the flight before it could take off. The passenger reported that others on the flight who were fed up with the delay taunted the former EastEnders actor by jeering 'Rickaaay' at him as he was escorted off, a reference to his character on the soap, Ricky Butcher. In a statement, British Airways confirmed that its staff had to intervene.

"Our highly trained cabin crew were on hand to help resolve a disagreement between two customers, which delayed the flight."

Over 200 passengers were delayed by the scuffle. It's understood that Sid flew home later in the day. He appeared on EastEnders between 1988 and 2012.