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Edinburgh airport evacuated in security alert

A security alert at Edinburgh airport led to flights being diverted and passengers stranded on aircraft that had just landed.

The terminal was evacuated and remained closed for almost four hours, following an incident at 1.50pm yesterday, as bomb disposal experts examined a suspect bag.

Around 15 departures and 13 arrivals were cancelled and some flights delayed by more than five hours. Seven flights were diverted to Glasgow.

Security personnel are thought to have raised concerns that the bag, and the hands of a male passenger, may have contained traces of explosive.

However, Police Scotland later confirmed that there was an innocent explanation for the alert and said there was never any threat to the public.

Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said there had been an unidentified threat that triggered the investigation.

“We know this causes huge disruption and upset to people. We have done our best to mitigate that and make people as comfortable as possible in the circumstances,” he said.

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