Luton Airport near London evacuated in security alert

LONDON -- Hundreds of passengers were evacuated and flights were suspended for hours Monday from Luton Airport near London after a suspicious package was found in a security-screening area.

Passengers were stranded outside the terminal as emergency services examined the suspicious item. The approach road to the airport was closed, triggering long delays for motorists.

An army bomb-disposal squad blew up the item in a controlled explosion and police said it was not dangerous. The airport reopened around 6 p.m.

"The police have successfully concluded their investigation inside the terminal and have confirmed that the Airport is now safe for normal operations to resume," the airport said in a statement on its website.

Budget airline EasyJet said six flights landing at Luton had been diverted to other airports and 12 flights had been canceled as a result of the security scare.

Luton, northwest of London, caters mostly to short-haul flights by budget airlines.

Britain recently raised the country's terror threat level from substantial to severe, meaning that a terrorist attack is considered highly likely.