Man on runway sparks Heathrow alert
13 March 2008Heathrow airport declared a major security alert today (March 13th) after a man with a rucksack ran into the path of an aircraft.
The man scaled a perimeter fence at Britain's busiest airport and ran onto the runway shortly after 14:00 GMT.
Police officers surrounded the man and sniffer dogs were used to examine his bag.
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said: "A man was arrested and is currently in custody. A bag has been recovered."
The incident appeared to cause serious public concern, with the BBC reporting that police received numerous 999 calls after eyewitnesses saw the man run onto the landing strip.
It could also lead to some people relying on their travel insurance as the north runway at Heathrow was closed. Airport operator BAA informed passengers to check for delays and cancellations with their airline.
The breach of security follows a stunt by environmental protesters last month, who managed to cross the runway at Heathrow, climb onto a British Airways plane and drape a banner across its tailfin.