US airport scare

An airport in Huntington, West Virginia was closed yesterday after a passenger's hand baggage prompted an explosives scare.

Further testing of samples taken from the scene has revealed that they posed no danger to the public, however, many analysts are commenting that this is a further sign of the cautious climate airport security is currently operating in.

Two airport security officers noticed that liquids, which are now prohibited in hand luggage, were in a passenger's bag.

When the bag was opened and the liquids were tested, traces of explosives were found on the containers. Police sniffer dog units were then called and the female passenger was detained and questioned by the FBI.

In a statement the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) commented: "Transportation Security Officer (TSO) Joshua Messinger and TSO Clifford Barker discovered the residues while screening bottles filled with liquid substances.

"At 11:25 (local time), to ensure the safety of the travelling public, West Virginia State Police, the Tri-State Airport Authority and TSA agreed to evacuate the terminal."

Samples were sent to the FBI for further testing after the closure and this revealed that they posed no threat to the security of the airport or the safety of the passengers.

The female, of Pakistani origin, was released and is now allowed to continue with her journey.

Her mother told the Associated Press that she had been stopped on racial grounds and had been discriminated against because of her Islamic clothing.

This latest scare comes after a female passenger caused a disturbance on a United Airlines flight from Heathrow to Washington on Wednesday.