Bomb threat

[Syd]

Three drunk Brits arrested

 

Heathrow Jet 'Bomb Threat': Three Arrested

9:42am UK, Saturday January 09, 2010

 

Huw Borland, Sky News Online

 

Three men have been arrested on a passenger jet after an alleged bomb threat sparked a security scare at Heathrow Airport.

Armed officers boarded the Dubai-bound Emirates EK004 flight - which had 331 people inside - on Friday night after air crew alerted police.

 

Emirates said the incident arose after "remarks" were made as the plane prepared for take-off.

 

The Metropolitan Police said the three men, aged 58, 48 and 36, had been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb threat.

 

The other passengers were taken off the aircraft and put up in a hotel for the night ahead of a rescheduled departure later today.

 

 

Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out.

 

Passenger Cameron McLean talking to Sky News

 

The incident comes amid heightened tension at airports across the world in the wake of a botched Christmas Day bombing.

 

Officers are not believed to have found any suspicious substances on the Emirates aircraft - understood to be a Boeing 777 - which had been due to take off at 8pm.

 

Passenger Cameron McLean told Sky News that armed police took a man off the plane in handcuffs before sniffer dogs were brought in.

 

He said: "Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out. I think he was a white male. There was another one but I didn't see him."

 

Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: "It's an indication of how jumpy airlines and anti-terror police are."

 

Extra bag checks, body searches and on-board regulations have seen travellers in London wait up to three hours before taking off in recent weeks.

 

Even when they are in the sky, some passengers have been told to remain seated for the final hour of flight time.

 

The 'final hour' precautions also include no access to bathrooms or overhead lockers and passenger cannot have anything on their laps, including blankets or pillows.