This was February 14th, when things in the UK were diverting all over the UK. STN took a lot of diversions due to the winds at LHR and LGW. I'm not sure how many, but I know BHX was full, MAN was only taking emergencies and flights were diverting as far North as NCL and Irish flights returning back to DUB.
I would pretty much say that in defence of the handling agent, they were dealing with the many aircraft and hundreds if not thousands of passengers trying to get back to LHR and LGW.
It would only take 1 person to offload an aircraft back into the terminal so something doesn't add up for the length they were kept on the aircraft. Pressure from FR to still depart maybe?
I would expect the inbound aircraft needed to fuel up in BHX due to delays in getting into STN, then needed fuelling for its trip to OPO.
What I don't understand is with the weather as it was, all the diversions and delays, that there was no-one from the Airport Authority, only the police available and the Airport was closed??
I know that Airlines will try and get out of compensation and refreshments when it's down to weather but Ryanair should have stepped up here.