The north terminal at London Gatwick Airport in the UK was evacuated Saturday morning as ‘precautionary measure’ for the protection of the public.
Police said they arrested a man, who was described as acting “suspiciously” and had discarded an item at the airport. The statement said explosive experts have been called to the airport to investigate.
Due to an incident – the North Terminal has been evacuated as a precautionary measure. Extra staff on-site looking after passenger welfare
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) November 14, 2015
A spokesperson for Sussex Police told The Independent 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 of the public.”
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She said the evacuation was a precaution sparked by the discovery of a “suspicious article”.
#gatwick_airport North Terminal evacuation in the rain pic.twitter.com/8aeeP8VWJF
— Tim Unwin (@TimUnwin) November 14, 2015
Tim Unwin, a geography professor at the University of London, wrote on Twitter that the incident started shortly before 10am, when the terminal’s first floor was closed and check-in was moved. He said the full evacuation started around 10 minutes later. It comes amid heightened security in the UK following a wave of terror attacks targeting a stadium, concert and restaurants in Paris last night.
Niamh Harris