Winona Ryder, the Hollywood actress, has been rushed to a London hospital after being taken ill on a flight from Los Angeles.

The 37-year-old's condition is not yet known but the illness was sufficiently serious for the pilot of the British Airways plane to request a priority landing at Heathrow Airport.

A spokesman for Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, west London, said medics had attended the American star straight off the plane before sending her for further treatment.

British Airways said the flight crew had looked after her as much as possible while on board, and passenger service staff accompanied her to hospital after the plane touched down shortly before noon.

In the 1990s Ms Ryder was, along with stars such as then-boyfriend Johnny Depp, considered one of Hollywood's hottest young talents, starring in such films as The Crucible, Edward Scissorhands and the cult indie classic Reality Bites. Twice nominated for Oscars, first in 1994 for her role in The Age of Innocence and again for Little Women the following year, her career later nosedived following allegations and a conviction in 2006 for shoplifting.

Though she has since remained largely out of the spotlight, Ms Ryder has recently begun to rehabilitate her professional reputation, landing a starring role in the upcoming Star Trek movie