LONDON, United Kingdom – London’s Luton Airport was evacuated Monday following the discovery of a “suspicious item” outside the terminal.
According to a statement from the airport, “a suspicious item was found in the security search area,” prompting the airport to suspend all incoming flights and to close the road leading to the airport.
Bedfordshire Police told Breitbart London that the package was discovered at around 1:36pm and has, at 5:24pm, been dealt with by way of controlled explosion. It is a piece of hand luggage which was rumoured to have a home-made bomb inside, though Bedfordshire Police have now denied this. Speculation continues as to the device, but some think it may have been a set of curling irons.
The Explosives Ordinance Team handlde the situation, and local roads were also closed.
The bag was caught by the security scanners in the airport, and the terminals were subsequently evacuated.
“Passengers are advised to contact their airlines to establish the status of their flights,” the airport added.
London Luton Airport has evacuated the terminal building due to a security alert. London Luton Airport (@LDNLutonAirport) September 8, 2014.
Monday’s incident comes amid heightened security awareness following the British government’s decision to raise the terror threat level from “substantial” to “severe” in response to “developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West.”
UPI contributed to this report
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