AN ELDERLY woman who died shortly after arriving in Britain from west Africa tested negative for the ebola virus, health officials said yesterday.

The woman arrived at Gatwick airport on a flight from the Gambia and was tested for the deadly virus that has struck in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Accordingly to Public Health England, she showed no symptoms during the flight but collapsed at the airport shortly after arriving and was later pronounced dead.

A Gatwick spokeswoman confirmed a passenger became unwell after disembarking the aircraft and was treated by medical airport staff but later died at East Surrey Hospital.

“Given the origin of the flight, the hospital carried out tests for ebola and other infectious diseases as a precaution. The tests came back negative,” she said.

“As a precaution, the aircraft was isolated, as were relevant airline and airport staff.”