Armed police investigate threat against flight at Los Angeles airport

Armed police today investigated a threat against a plane landed at Los Angeles Airport.

The American Eagle jet was kept on the runway away from the airport terminal with all its passengers onboard after arriving from Houston, Texas.

A group of armed officers and a sniffer dog were seen walking up the staircase and onto the plane to investigate the threat.

Airport officials later said the flight had been screened as a "precautionary measure".

Passengers were escorted off the flight more than an hour after it landed and onto waiting buses to be taken to the terminal.

An airport police spokesman said the US Transport Security Administration had received a phone call about a threat to the flight but did not release further details.

The flight arrived in Los Angeles at 8.43am local time.

The FBI said it was aware of the threat and precautionary measures had been taken.

An American Eagle spokeswoman said the airline hoped to have all its passengers on their way shortly.