Obama leaves UK from foggy Stansted

US president Barack Obama flew out of Britain today after attending the G20 summit.

Mr Obama, with his wife Michelle, left Stansted at around 8.45am to fly to Strasbourg for a Nato meeting.

Parts of eastern England were shrouded in fog and security experts decided that it was too risky for the president to fly from London to Stansted by helicopter.

Instead, Mr and Mrs Obama were driven by car and arrived at the airport at around 8.30am.

They travelled in the president’s armour-plated limousine – known as the Beast - and were accompanied by security men in a cavalcade containing at least 10 vehicles.

Mr Obama put his arm on his wife’s back as the couple climbed the steps of Air Force One.

They turned briefly to wave to watching journalists before walking into the aircraft.

Fog meant that only a silhouette of Air Force One was visible as it lifted off from Stanstead.

The 747 took off from a remote area of the airport and regular passengers had no opportunity to see the presidential couple.

Airport officials said inbound flights were cancelled as part of the security arrangements until Air Force One had left.

Officials said security staff decided at around 6.30am that the fog would make it too risky for the president to travel to Stansted by helicopter.

When he arrived from Washington late on Tuesday, the president climbed into a Black Hawk helicopter and was flown into London, where he stayed at the Regent’s Park home of the American ambassador.