A Frenchman has been charged with taking an air rifle and a knife into Gatwick Airport following a security alert that shut the north terminal on Saturday morning.
Jerome Chauris, 41, is being held by Sussex Police and will appear in court next week charged with possessing a dangerous article in any part of an aerodrome and possessing a sharp pointed article in a public place.
Chauris, who police said is from Vendôme, France, but has no job or fixed address, will face Crawley magistrates on Monday.
The north terminal was cleared at about 10am and passengers were reportedly told to stay away from glass windows after cops reportedly found a gun discarded in a bin.
Police and bomb disposal specialists swarmed the busy airport and carried out a controlled explosion of the firearm.
It came just hours after the deadliest terrorist attacks on Europe in a decade. At least 129 people were killed, and 99 left fighting for their lives, when attackers opened fire and detonated bombs at six venues across Paris.
Among the dead were 89 people gunned down at an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan venue in the east of the French capital.
Gatwick’s north terminal reopened at about 4pm, by which time stranded passengers had been moved to a nearby hotel to shelter from the rain.
In a statement yesterday Det Supt Nick May said: “Given the events in Paris on Friday evening, there is heightened awareness around any such incident.
“We are aware that there is concern about what has happened in France, but the general threat level remains the same and people should be aware as usual of anyone acting suspiciously and report any concerns immediately.”
Mr Chauris was “landside” when he was arrested, meaning he had not yet been through any passport or security checks.
Worried passengers took to social media to let others know what was happening.
Alex Pollock (@socialPolly) wrote on Twitter: “We’re all being held at passport control. We’ve got to go “as far away as possible” from the area. The areas been evacuated.”
Others complained about a perceived lack of communication.
Sophie Robinson (@SoRoMantik_) tweeted at Gatwick’s official account asking: “What’s happening? We’ve been sat in baggage reclaim north terminal for over an hour and no one has come with info.”
