East Midlands Airport evacuated after security alert

East Midlands Airport was evacuated while an item was checked

The passenger terminal of East Midlands Airport was evacuated on Monday night after a security alert.

Passengers were moved away from the building shortly after 18:00 BST.

Airport officials said the measure was a precaution as they checked an item that was being carried through security by a passenger.

They said the airport, near Castle Donington, was cleared to reopen by 20:00 BST.

A number of flights were held on the runway during the alert and hundreds of passengers were asked to leave the terminal.

"A lot of disruption"

One passenger who was on a plane back to the UK from Majorca told the BBC: "We landed but couldn't disembark for two hours. All we were told is that something had triggered a security scanner.

"It's caused a lot of disruption."

A number of flights were delayed by the evacuation.

An East Midlands Airport spokesperson said: "Earlier this evening (Mon) the passenger terminal was evacuated as a precaution while further checks were carried out on an item being carried through security by a passenger.

"All relevant authorities have now given clearance for the terminal to re-open and operations will resume as soon as possible. Safety and security are our number one priority and we thank passengers for their understanding and cooperation."

It has not been revealed what the item was.

Leicestershire Police said it had been made aware of the incident.