US spy plane crew on way to Hawaii

The plane carrying the 24 crew members of the US EP-3 spy plane has left the island of Guam for Hawaii.

The crew will stay at Pearl Harbour naval base for two days of briefings before returning to Whidbey Island, Washington.

Their release came after George W Bush said the US was "very sorry" for a Chinese fighter pilot's death and the plane landing in China without permission.

The Boeing 737 touched down in the US territory of Guam just before 5am BST.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral Craig Quigley said a team of psychologists, physicians, intelligence officers and other specialists had been on board to check on the crew's health and begin debriefings.

Their Boeing 737 took off from Haikou, the capital of Hainan island.

They had been staying at a Chinese naval guest house. Just before dawn they were led to the airport in two white buses with tinted, curtained windows.

Chinese police, some in riot gear, showed up immediately after the plane took off. At least one group of foreign journalists was detained.

After announcing it would release the crew, the Chinese government, which blames the US plane for the collision, said it would keep the surveillance plane until it could hold more talks with the US, starting on April 18.