A SUSPECT package on an Aurigny aircraft caused the airfield to be evacuated yesterday. The security alert was caused by a video cassette left in an overhead locker by an unidentified passenger on an ATR72 that had arrived in the island from Bristol, via Jersey.

It was spotted by a passenger, who alerted a stewardess at about 3pm.

The aircraft, on stand 7 near the site of the old terminal, was due to leave the island, but passengers who had boarded were swiftly moved to the departure lounge as a safety precaution.

Standard security procedures led to the unclaimed item being reported to the emergency services and the police’s bomb disposal officers rushed to the scene.

The standard VHS video cassette in its storage case was declared safe and the full flight of about 60 passengers departed at about 4.15.

‘We instigated a full bomb procedure, which meant vacating the aircraft, closing the airfield and calling in the bomb squad,’ said airport director Colin Le Ray.

‘They arrived within about 20 minutes and spoke to the stewardess, and Aurigny carried out some research about who had been in the seat before. They were quite happy that there was nothing suspicious in the package but, as a precaution, it was taken off and X-rayed.

‘We are grateful to the passenger for reporting the incident and we have to treat all reports with the same degree of caution. We will be writing to all the airlines about the importance of pre-flight checks. It was not considered necessary to evacuate the airport terminal because of the size of the package. The airfield reopened at 3.42.

‘The response of the airport authorities and all aircraft staff was mature and sensible in today’s operating environment. It shows how vigilant we all have to be these days,’ said Aurigny managing director Malcolm Hart.

This was the first incident of its kind since the opening of the new terminal.

‘The disruption caused by this false alarm was unfortunate, but it’s reassuring to know that the system works and people’s vigilance was rewarded by a quick and professional response. This incident was handled correctly, which is heartening, but it is a reminder that passengers must always check thoroughly to ensure that they take all their hand luggage with them when departing the aircraft.

‘This needless disruption just shows how important it is to make sure you have everything with you when you go.’

Late yesterday afternoon, Aurigny was trying to track down the cassette’s owner.

‘It’s delays on a Bank Holiday Friday which people don’t need in their lives,’ said Mr Hart.

Many flights were delayed and passengers were stranded in the terminal building until the short drama was over.

One aircraft was diverted to Jersey but others were either held back or overhead.

A police spokesman said that bomb disposal officers were sent to the scene and dealt with the package.

‘That was the end of the matter,’ the spokesman said.