Passenger describes scenes of panic at Gatwick Airport during ‘security incident’ evacuation

People ran for their lives after being told to evacuate Gatwick Airport following fears of a bomb threat, one passenger has said. Tanya Willis was due to fly to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for a weekend break at 11.25am on Friday morning (November 22) when the incident unfolded.

The 30-year-old said panic set in after the alert, with people were "running" - and the airport being left "deserted".

Sussex Police said the evacuation followed the discovery of a "suspected prohibited item in luggage" and an explosive disposal team was sent to the airport "as a precaution".

Teacher Tanya, from Merton, London, said: “I arrived at the airport and was taken to the airport lounge. I was there for about 20 minutes and then was suddenly told my a member of staff that everyone had to leave as the terminal was being evacuated, it’s very scary.

"No one can leave or come out. Lots of people were running, all the shops have been closed up. It looks like Covid again. Everything is just deserted - I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Airport staff started instructing passengers to leave the airport at around 8am after the suspicious item was found in a piece of luggage. Tanya said she and others in the South terminal of the airport were moved down to gate 31 while the police investigated.

The evacuation came after police revealed "the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage". However, at around 4pm, they said two people had been detained and the airport re-opened.

"Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator," a spokesperson said.

"Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.

"[The] safety of the public, staff and other airport users has been our priority throughout the operation, and we thank them for their patience while the incident was ongoing."