ALERT AT GATWICK AIRPORT(Police have evacuated parts of Gatwick Airport)

Sky News ^

[Dog]

ALERT AT GATWICK AIRPORT

Police have evacuated parts of Gatwick Airport because of a suspect vehicle found in the area.

The vehicle was spotted abandoned near the South Terminal, prompting a full security alert.

The South Terminal has been evacuated and surrounding roads have been closed off, including the perimeter road and part of the nearby A23.

A small number of flights are still departing from the South Terminal and the North Terminal has not been affected.

But rail services and traffic around the airport, near Crawley, Sussex, has been severely disrupted and passengers are advised to leave a lot more time to get to Gatwick.

Flights are landing as normal and passengers are still able to check-in but are advised to ring their airline and check flight times.

Bomb disposal experts are at the scene examining the vehicle, said Insp Gavin Whitehouse, of Sussex Police.

Police spokesman John Dunkling, airport Chief Inspector of operations, told Sky News he could not give exact details about the car but said it was: "more than just the location of the vehicle" which raised concerns.

"Until we are satisfied that this vehicle is definitely not a risk, we have evacuated parts of the terminal".

He could not say how long it would take for operations to return to normal.

The alarm was raised at 8.50pm by a member of the public who spotted the vehicle parked in a lay-by of a road that runs under the building.

Graham Hay, spokesman for Gatwick Express, said the rail service to the airport, which runs from Victoria station in London, had been suspended.

More to follow...

[keats5]

Thank God they spotted the vehicle before anyone got hurt.

[Mr. K]

I demand a waiting period before parking a car

[commish]

Oh yeah, That's where I parked my car. THANKS!

[aristeides]

There was that scare the other day when Air Force One didn't land because of a police car near the planned landing spot. The authorities must have some intelligence about a planned attack from a vehicle near an airport.

[tet68]

There was a report on the AM radio this afternoon about a bus from Birmingham bound for Atlanta with some kind of bomb threat called in.

Haven't found any more about it.

[Peach]

Earlier this morning they allowed people to re-board - didn't find a bomb (obviously). That's all I know.

[flamefront]

Man at Gatwick 'had live grenade'
21.41PM GMT, 13 Feb 2003

Britain's main airports are on high alert after a Venezuelan man believed to be carrying a live grenade was arrested at Gatwick Airport.

The man was arrested following the evacuation of sections of Gatwick, Britain's second-busiest airport, and flights were suspended.

The man arrived on flight BA 2048 from Bogota in Colombia. The flight made a stop in Caracas in Venezuela, where the arrested man boarded.

A police source said: "A 37-year-old man was arrested under the Terrorism Act by officers from Sussex Police at the airport's north terminal.

"On arrival at the airport the man's luggage was searched and a suspicious item was found. The item has been examined by explosives officers and appears to be a live grenade."

British Airways said that it was cancelling its scheduled flight to Caracas tomorrow while it held an investigation into the incident.

...

Where are the Afghan poppies?

[Shermy]

Yes, what ever happended to Hasil? After his first court date, his name drops off from the BBC archives. Here's a link to an FR story about him and the hand grenade.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/842510/posts?page=30#30

[Peach]

Torture him - he'll talk and tell if there are more of these little stunts planned in the next day or two.

[flamefront]

Good question.

[Lessismore]

No more abandoning the rental in front of the terminal and running to catch the flight!

[Rain-maker]

Then shoot him and bury him of the airport's taramack.

[OldFriend]

No bus bomb was found and the highway was reopened.

[piasa]

fyi

[aculeus]

Here's the BBC's version ...


Security alert at Gatwick airport

Police have declared a full-scale security alert at Gatwick airport after a "suspect vehicle" was found abandoned near the south terminal.

An army bomb disposal squad is examining the vehicle, and the arrivals area of the south terminal has been evacuated and closed, Sussex police said.

The vehicle was found parked in a lay-by, off the northbound carriageway of the A23 by a member of the public who raised the alarm at 2050 BST on Friday.

The perimeter road and the A23 leading to the airport, near Crawley, have also been closed and cordoned off since the vehicle was discovered.

As the south terminal - one of two at the airport - runs parallel to the airport's railway station, all rail services to and from Gatwick have been suspended until further notice.

'Suspicion'

But flights have not been disrupted, and passengers due to fly into and out from the south terminal on Friday night were being let through.

Duty terminal manager Ian Neave said the rest of the building was operating as normal.

A contingency plan had been put into operation and departing passengers were still able to check in, while those arriving could collect their baggage as normal.

Chief Inspector of Operations at Sussex Police, John Dunkling, told BBC News officers were "not happy" with the location and situation of the vehicle.

"We are clearly not prepared at this time to take chances with safety at Gatwick airport," he said.

He would not discuss whether any specific intelligence had been received, saying the location of the vehicle was the main concern.

"It has given rise to suspicion about why it should be there," he said.


Grenade

Police have warned there will be severe congestion around both the closed roads, and are urging people to stay away from the airport unless absolutely necessary.

Passengers are also being asked to check with the airport for flight details before beginning their journeys.

Gatwick Express rail service spokesman Graham Hay said fewer numbers of passengers would be travelling through Gatwick as the night went on, but apologised for any inconvenience caused by the suspension of rail services.

Gatwick's north terminal was shut down for five hours in February after a man arriving on a flight from Venezuela smuggled a live grenade in his luggage.

His arrest followed a security clampdown at London's other major airport, Heathrow, in which troops equipped with light tanks were deployed to patrol the airport.

The Heathrow operation was sparked by MI5 intelligence that a group was plotting to shoot down an aircraft.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/3105266.stm

Published: 2003/09/13 00:06:28 GMT

© BBC MMIII

[BurbankKarl]

"The White Zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only..."

"No, thats the Red Zone."

"Don't tell me which zone is for loading and which zone is for unloading!"

[My Favorite Headache]

I never tire of Airplane!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Meanwhile across the country 2,000 illegal aliens with a handful of fake or unverifiable documents received a driver's license so that they could get on airplanes and register to vote.

[FairOpinion]

BBC breaking news:

"Security alert at London's Gatwick airport ends, as police blow up suspect car."

"An army bomb disposal squad carried out three controlled explosions on the saloon car after the arrivals area of the south terminal has been evacuated and closed, Sussex police said. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3105266.stm