Police have carried out a controlled explosion at Gatwick airport after a man appeared to discard a firearm and other possessions in a dustbin.
Officers were called to reports on Saturday morning of the man acting suspiciously . The 41-year-old, who is from Vendôme – about 100 miles (160km) south-west of Paris, was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences and was being questioned, police said.
The news came soon after it was announced there would be heightened security measures at British airports in the wake of Friday’s Paris terror attacks, during which at least 127 people were killed.
According to Sussex police, explosives experts investigated what was initially deemed a suspicious item discarded by the man and carried out a small controlled explosion. “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,” police said.
The arrested man was “landside” at the airport and had not checked in or passed through any passport or security checks, officers said on Saturday afternoon.
DS Nick May of Sussex police 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.
“We are aware that there is concern about what has happened in France, but the general threat level remains the same and people should be aware as usual of anyone acting suspiciously and report any concerns immediately.”
Gatwick’s north terminal, which was evacuated and remained closed for most of Saturday, reopened at about 4pm. A statement released by Gatwick while the terminal closure was in force advised travellers to contact their airlines for flight information.
We'd like to apologise to passengers for any inconvenience while the NT incident is investigated. We have extra staff on hand to assist.
— Gatwick Airport LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) November 14, 2015
Gatwick is one of Britain’s busiest airports, handling 39 million passengers travelling to 200 destinations every year.
The 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.
