A British Airways Concorde bound for New York's JFK airport was forced to abort its take-off after concerns about a possible engine problem.

The plane, carrying around 60 people, was travelling at a "very low speed" on the Heathrow runway when the flight was aborted, according to a BA spokeswoman.

The captain had become concerned about a possible technical problem with the "engine reheats" on the aircraft.

Once additional safety checks were carried out, the airliner took off at 1128 GMT and it landed about 40 minutes late in New York at 1000 local time (1500 GMT).

A BA spokeswoman said: "Safety and security are the bedrock of our organisation and we err on the side of caution."

BA and Air France only resumed passenger flights to the US on 7 November, following the fatal crash of an Air France Concorde in July, 2000.

The supersonic planes were grounded for an extensive refit after the crash near the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, which claimed the lives of 113 people.

Many politicians and celebrities were on the first passenger flight. Both planes were greet at New York's JFK Airport by the city's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani.