Kyrgyzstan airport bomb threat called in 'to stop wife leaving'

The airport is just outside the capital Bishkek

A drunk man claimed there was a bomb on a plane in a desperate bid to stop his wife leaving the country, police in Kyrgyzstan have said.

Ilya Eremeev, 30, called in the threat on Monday, as his wife was due to visit Moscow on a work trip.

Kyrgyzstan's main airport, near the capital Bishkek, was evacuated and several flights were cancelled as a result of the false threat.

Mr Eremeev was arrested and is being held while police investigate.

If charges are brought, he could face up to three years behind bars for providing false information about an act of terrorism.

The national security agency offered no further information on Mr Eremeev's motives but noted he was "in a drunken state" when detained.

Nine flights from Manas International Airport were affected by the anonymous call to emergency services, which was made at 16:15 local time (10:15 GMT).

The bomb scare came as Bishkek prepares to host a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Wednesday, which Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang are due to attend.