London's Gatwick Airport Evacuated after Suspicious Item Found
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal was evacuated Saturday “for the protection of the public” this morning after a suspicious item was found.
Hundreds of people were photographed standing outside the airport in the rain after being told to leave the airport at around 10am.
Witnesses said armed police were arresting a man believed to have a gun in his bag, The Independent reported on Saturday.
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 at the public.”
She said the evacuation was a precaution sparked by the discovery of a "suspicious article".
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.
