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Terminal closes over powder find Powder in airport alert harmless
(about 4 hours later)
Part of a terminal at Manchester Airport closed and a chemical alert was declared after security staff found white powder in a piece of luggage. Tests on a white powder which triggered a security alert at Manchester Airport have found the substance is harmless.
The departure area of Terminal 3 was closed after a man tried to carry the unidentified powder on to an aircraft. Security staff called police after a man tried to carry the unidentified powder on to an aircraft, and closed the departure area of Terminal 3.
The man was planning to fly from Manchester to London. But forensic tests found no evidence it could be used as an explosive device and the check-in desk has re-opened.
The man has not been arrested, but is helping with inquiries, said police. A police source said the incident was not believed to be terror-related. The substance was found in the hand luggage of man heading from Manchester to London. Police made no arrests.
Tests are being conducted on the powder. 'No risk'
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Shortly before 1255 GMT police at Manchester Airport were called by security staff from the check-in desk at Terminal 3, who had discovered a non-identified white powder in a bag which a man was attempting to carry on to a plane. Greater Manchester Police Supt Leor Giladi said: "Because the powder was unidentified we had to take every precaution to protect the safety of passengers at the airport.
"Officers attended along with the fire service and they declared it a chemical incident. Tests are currently on-going to establish what the powder is. "Public safety is our primary concern and that is why we had to take the action we did. Tests have been carried out on the substance that have concluded it could not have been used for any explosive purposes and there was absolutely no risk to anyone at the airport."
"The check-in desk at Terminal 3 has been cordoned off and a man in his 20s is helping police with their inquiries at the airport." Some flights departing from the terminal were delayed, but the airport said arrivals and those leaving other terminals were not affected.
Flights departing from Terminal 3 were facing delays but arrivals and those leaving other terminals were not affected, the airport said. Other containers of the same substance were recovered from the man's main luggage and a chemical alert was declared.