Horrified passengers were given the buttock-clenching tidings as cabin crew delivered their safety briefing shortly before departure from Murcia, in Spain. A failure in the supply chain meant there was also no milk on the Stansted-bound flight.

Shaun O’dea, who was returning home from a three-day break with his wife, Karen, explained that the absence of loo roll had proved a bit of a bummer. “Everyone had horrified looks on their faces; to be able to go to the toilet is a basic need,” he told The Sun. “It really was appalling.”

Ryanair blamed the blunder on a failure by handing agents in Murcia to deliver toilet rolls and milk sachets that had been ordered by the airline.

“Our crew explained to passengers that we wished to prioritise an on-time departure for London Stansted rather than wait for these items to be delivered and cause a significant air traffic control delay for all our customers,” a company spokesperson told MailOnline. “Our passengers were very understanding and we apologised sincerely to them for any inconvenience.”

The lack of toilet paper would possibly have signalled squeaky bum time at 30,000 feet for any passenger nursing a dodgy kebab from the night before. But, with tissues, magazines – and maybe even socks – all at the ready, the brave travellers survived their harrowing ordeal without suffering any obvious embarrassment.

It’s not the first time Ryanair has been caught up in a loo roll controversy. Last year a pensioner was reported to have been struck in the face by one after cabin crew on a flight from Manchester to Tenerife encouraged a rowdy game of pass-the-toilet-roll with booze as the prize. They little knew how lucky they were to have a roll to pass.

However, in more positive news for travellers the Irish carrier has just announced that check-in fees are to be slashed by 35 per cent from 70 euros to 45 euros. Missed departure charges fall from 110 to to 100 euros.