Gatwick Airport North Terminal evacuated

[sky9]

http://gatwick.airlive.net/

[sky9]

"Man arrested at Gatwick after evacuation
Police have confirmed that bomb disposal experts were called to the airport and a man was arrested after he apparently discarded an item at Gatwick.
Detective Superintendent Nick May told the Crawley News: "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 "

GATWICK EVACUATION: Bomb disposal experts called after "suspicious" item discarded at airport | Crawley News (http://www.crawleynews.co.uk/GATWICK-EVACUATION-Bomb-disposal-experts-called/story-28174480-detail/story.html)

[msjh]

For what it's worth (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3318312/Gatwick-North-Terminal-evacuated-armed-police-arrest-man-grenade-bag.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK)

[BluSdUp]

Me thinks it is time for ElAl style security at all airports.

Safe regards.
BSU

[Gertrude the Wombat]

ElAl style security
The one and only time I flew El Al (a long time ago) I was quite impressed - they asked me what I was, I said "maths student", so they then asked me maths questions that I couldn't have answered if I'd been lying.

[xraydice]

"The one and only time I flew El Al (a long time ago) I was quite impressed - they asked me what I was, I said "maths student", so they then asked me maths questions that I couldn't have answered if I'd been lying."

Waaaay before you reached the Airport they knew all about you ;) thats the way it should be for all flights .

[nigel osborne]

How did this work today with passengers evacuated to hotels for 7 hours.

Assume many planes unable to leave without those passengers and no planes diverted. So did they stack arriving planes on a taxiway or were there enough stands for them all.

Nigel

[widgeon]

When I flew to Israel from Canada in the 80's I threw my winter boots away at the airport and EL Al security questioned me about it.

[Heathrow Harry]

From the beeb:-


A 41-year-old man from France has been charged with possession of an air rifle and a knife following a security alert at Gatwick Airport.


The alert caused major disruption at the North Terminal on Saturday morning.
Jerome Chauris, from Vendome, is due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Monday.


Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers carried out a small controlled explosion as airport passengers and staff were taken to local hotels.
The North Terminal was closed for six hours.

[Zadok]

You would be quite surprised by the info on anyone landing at London airports. Book at ticket and the process begins.

[ve3id]

I once went through security at Heathrow with a ham radio walkie talkie in my briefcase. Second nature to me, I can't live without it, but I can see how it could be mistaken as something sinister, remote control a possibility.

Shepherded into secondary security inspection, I met a man who asked me my callsign. OK, gave him both UK and Canadian ones, but of course anybody could have known that.

Then he asked me exactly what frequency bands I worked, and what kind of power I was allowed to run on these bands. He specifically asked me about "top band" which was at that time shared with trawlers in the UK, so UK hams are limited in power to avoid interference. Inland in Canada we were allowed to use much higher power on that band, as long as we are away from the coast. He took all this in and asked deeper questions, specifically if we were allowed to use higher or lower power at night.

Nobody could have got that radio onto the plane unless they were the real thing! and hams are builders, not destroyers!

So don't think for one minute that they are lax at Heathrow!

cheers,
Nigel