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Police Arrest Man in Airport Bomb Scare

Posted on: Monday, 26 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

A man was arrested by police yesterday after he ran through a security post at Manchester Airport and got within 60 metres of an aircraft.

The man, who is being held under the Mental Health Act, abandoned his car outside the airport's perimeter fence and ran 200 metres passed security officers towards the plane. He was wrestled to the ground by police and stunned with a Taser gun. The briefcase he was carrying was kicked away and later blown up in a controlled explosion, which contained only clothing, papers and a passport.

Greater Manchester Police last night denied there had been a lapse in security and defended the actions of its officers.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas said: "We are very happy with what the officers did. We were concerned that we might be dealing with a man who might be trying to attack a plane and kill himself in the process.'

The man was initially arrested under the Terrorism Act following the incident.

The incident caused traffic chaos around the airport and delays for passengers as one of the piers at Manchester Airport's Terminal Two was evacuated and parts of Terminal 1 were cordoned off Police refused to give any details of the man's age or ethnic origin.

They said the officer who shot him with the Taser was also carrying a firearm.

Mr Thomas said: "In an ideal world he would have been stopped at the barrier but he was determined to get through

Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)

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