Three men have been arrested on suspicion of making a bomb threat on a plane as it prepared for take-off at Heathrow airport. Armed counter-terrorist officers boarded the Dubai-bound Emirates flight on Monday evening after a verbal threat was made to air crew at 9.15pm.
The Metropolitan Police said the three men, aged 58, 48 and 36, were in custody. It is thought they were all British men travelling in economy class. One passenger reported seeing armed police board the flight and take a man off in handcuffs.
Passenger Cameron McLean told Sky News: 'Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out. I think he was a white male. There was another one but I didn't see him.' The man was removed in handcuffs, and sniffer dogs were brought on board.
Police released the plane, which had been carrying 331 passengers, to the airline after finding no dangerous items. Emirates said passengers had been given hotel accommodation overnight, and the flight would now leave at 3pm on Tuesday.
An Emirates statement said: 'Following remarks made as Emirates flight EK004 prepared to depart London Heathrow for Dubai [Monday] evening, crew alerted the Metropolitan police who subsequently boarded the aircraft and detained three passengers. The safety and security of all our passengers is paramount.'
