Britain's Gatwick airport terminal reopens after 'explosive' scare

LONDON: The north terminal of south London’ s Gatwick Airport was re-opened after an explosive scare, the airport authorities announced on Saturday.

“Following advice from the Police, we can now confirm that the north terminal has re-opened,” the authorities said on its Twitter account. “We are working with our airlines to return north terminal to usual operations.”

The north terminal was evacuated as a precautionary measure after a man had “discarded an item” at the airport and Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists were at the scene.

Earlier, a 41-year-old man, who was reported to be French, was held after he was allegedly seen putting an item in a bin. Police said a suspected firearm was found.

Following which, the airport’s North Terminal was evacuated “for the protection of the public”.

Hundreds of people were photographed standing outside the airport in the rain after being told to leave the airport at around 10 a.m.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police told The Independent that she could not confirm the reports of a security alert but said: “The terminal is being evacuated at the moment. It is for the protection at the public.”

She said the evacuation was a precautionary measure sparked by the discovery of a “suspicious article”.

The evacuation comes amid heightened security in Britain following a wave of terror attacks in Paris on Friday night that killed 127 people.A 41-year-old Frenchman was arrested at Gatwick Airport Saturday with what appeared to be a firearm, British police said after a security alert triggered an evacuation of the busy London hub.

“Police were called at around 9.30am (0930 GMT) following suspicious actions by a man who discarded an item in a bin at the airport,” Sussex Police said in a statement.

“A 41-year-old man from Vendome in (central) France was arrested at the scene at the time of the report on suspicion of firearms offences,” the statement said.

“Personal items and what appears to be a firearm were recovered and have been removed for forensic examination. However, the viability of the weapon has yet to be established,” it added.

Detective Superintendent Nick May said: “The man is being interviewed as we try to determine the circumstances of the incident, but at this time it is too early to say what his intentions, if any, were.”

“However, given the events in Paris on Friday evening, there is heightened awareness around any such incident and it is best that we treat the matter in all seriousness,” he said.

Islamic State jihadists on Saturday claimed a series of coordinated attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers in Paris that killed at least 128 people in scenes of carnage at a concert hall, restaurants and the national stadium.

Bomb disposal experts conducted a small controlled explosion after the North Terminal was temporarily evacuated, police said.

Gatwick is one of Britain’s busiest airports, handling 39 million passengers travelling to 200 destinations every year and is the biggest hub for British low-cost airline EasyJet.

“The safety of our passengers and crew is EasyJet’s highest priority,” the company said in a statement.

“We are working with the airport and the authorities to assess the situation and any potential impact on our operations,” it said, asking passengers to check the status of their flights online.

British security services are on high alert following the attacks on a rock concert, restaurants and national football stadium.

Britain’s Foreign Office earlier updated its travel advice for British nationals in France, urging them to “exercise caution in public places and follow the advice of the local authorities”.

Eurostar services between London and Paris were running as usual on Saturday, despite initial concerns that French borders would be closed following the attacks.

AFP & IANS