NOTE: the airport has now reopened.
London Gatwick's North Terminal was evacuated on Saturday morning.
Police have made an arrest after being called to the airport at around 0930 following reports of a man behaving in a suspicious manner who discarded an item. The man was arrested and EOD specialists have been called to the airport to investigate the item.
Detective Superintendent Nick May said: "At this time, we are investigating the circumstances of the incident and it is too early to say what the item may be.
"However, given the events in Paris on Friday evening, there is heightened awareness around any such incident and it is best that we treat the matter in all seriousness."
At present (1500 Saturday) the situation seems confused, with some reports saying that Gatwick is on "lockdown", while others saying that flights are continuing to both arrive and depart. South Terminal appears to be operating.
The Daily Mail is reporting the following: "A Frenchman approached an Easyjet check-in desk carrying two guns. After being challenged by Easyjet staff he sprinted from the North Terminal into the level-two multi-storey car park where he was seen to throw one of his firearms into a rubbish bin.
"Airport staff and police continued to chase the man and when he was arrested moments after, he was found to have a second gun strapped to his body."
In a statement issued at 1430, Gatwick said: "The North Terminal remains closed to departing passengers due to an earlier incident. Roads around the terminal are also temporarily closed and there is no access for vehicles.
"If you are due to fly from North Terminal this afternoon, please contact your airline for the latest flight information. If you are meeting a passenger arriving at NT, they will now arrive at South Terminal."
"Any passengers who miss their flights as a result of this incident may take a full refund or transfer their flight to another date of their choosing.
"We would advise that all passengers due to fly from London Gatwick Airport check the status of their flights on our Flight Tracker page at www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker for real-time information."
British Airways said in a statement: "There will be extra security checks for people arriving to the terminal and this is likely to lead to delays to flights and transportation to Gatwick North Terminal."
Gatwick Express trains are suspended for the weekend due to planned engineering works.
Tom Otley
