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Luton Airport to re-open after 'suspicious item' found in security area destroyed by police in controlled explosion | |
(35 minutes later) | |
London Luton’s airport is to re-open after passengers were evacuated from the premises and all incoming flights suspended when a suspicious item was found in the security search area. | |
Police were called at approximately 1.30pm this afternoon. After consulting with airport staff, officers evacuated passengers from the the entire airport. | |
Shortly before 3pm a bomb disposal team arrived at the airport and later carried out a controlled explosion. | |
"It was confirmed that the item destroyed, although deemed suspicious, did not present a wider danger," Bedfordshire Police said on its website. Police said no one had been arrested. | |
Henry Mead, who was inside at the time of the evacuation, said to The Independent, “it was chaos”. | |
Gavin Harper, another person who was travelling at the time, tweeted during the evacuation: “Chaos at Luton. Just been evacuated”. | Gavin Harper, another person who was travelling at the time, tweeted during the evacuation: “Chaos at Luton. Just been evacuated”. |
Mr Harper then began tweeting a series of pictures of what appears to be the bomb disposal squad arriving. | Mr Harper then began tweeting a series of pictures of what appears to be the bomb disposal squad arriving. |
Bomb disposal van moving pic.twitter.com/EKlWQKq6td | Bomb disposal van moving pic.twitter.com/EKlWQKq6td |
Speaking to The Independent, he said most people were calm, although it was "very hot" and there was "not much" water for the passengers waiting in Luton's car park. | Speaking to The Independent, he said most people were calm, although it was "very hot" and there was "not much" water for the passengers waiting in Luton's car park. |
Bedfordshire Police confirmed that they had cleared the departure lounge at Luton, the country's sixth biggest airport which primarily serves holiday destinations. | |
Photo from outside Luton airport A statement on the London Luton airport earlier in the day explained: “London Luton Airport has evacuated the terminal building after a suspicious item was found in the security search area." | |
The statement continued: "All incoming flights have been suspended and the approach road to the Airport has also been closed.” | The statement continued: "All incoming flights have been suspended and the approach road to the Airport has also been closed.” |
Britain recently raised its international terrorism alert to its second-highest level, saying Islamic State in Syria and Iraq posed the country's greatest-ever security risk. |