London's Luton Airport Terminal Evacuated

London's Luton Airport Terminal Evacuated
Monarch and easyJet planes stand on the tarmac of Luton Airport after Britain's air traffic service banned all non-emergency flights until at least 7 a.m. (0600 GMT, 2 a.m. EDT) Friday in Luton, England Thursday, April 15, 2010. Airports in Britain, Ireland and Nordic countries have been closed because ash from the volcano that erupted Wednesday makes flying too dangerous as ash clouds high in the atmosphere have the potential to shut down jet engines. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Monarch and easyJet planes stand on the tarmac of Luton Airport after Britain's air traffic service banned all non-emergency flights until at least 7 a.m. (0600 GMT, 2 a.m. EDT) Friday in Luton, England Thursday, April 15, 2010. Airports in Britain, Ireland and Nordic countries have been closed because ash from the volcano that erupted Wednesday makes flying too dangerous as ash clouds high in the atmosphere have the potential to shut down jet engines. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

(Reuters) - The terminal building at Britain's Luton Airport, north of London, has been evacuated after a suspicious item was found, the police and airport said on Monday.

"London Luton Airport has evacuated the terminal building after a suspicious item was found in the security search area. The decision has been taken with the police to ensure the safety and security of passengers and staff," Luton Airport said on their website.

The airport said all incoming flights had been suspended and the approach road to the airport had been closed. Bedfordshire Police said that they had cleared the departure lounge at Luton, the country's sixth biggest airport which primarily serves holiday destinations.

Britain recently raised its international terrorism alert to its second-highest level, saying Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq posed the country's greatest-ever security risk.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden)

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