Man arrested as UK airport terminal evacuated

A man was arrested at south London's Gatwick Airport and the north terminal was evacuated Saturday as a precautionary measure due to an incident, the airport announced Saturday.

"Due to an incident - the North Terminal has been evacuated as a precautionary measure. Extra staff on-site looking after passenger welfare," the airport said via its twitter account.

Police said the man was arrested after he "discarded an item" at the airport and Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists were at the scene.

The airport said the terminal had been fully evacuated on the landside, before passport control.

Det Supt Nick May was quoted as saying by the BBC: "At this time, we are investigating the circumstances of the incident and it is too early to say what the item may be.

"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.

Passengers have been advised to leave plenty of time for their journey to the airport as roads immediately around the terminal have been closed.

A statement from Gatwick Airport said passengers due to arrive into the North Terminal would be arriving into the South Terminal.

It added that landside passengers who were already at the North Terminal were being looked after in nearby hotels. Endit