Cruise ship evacuated during Southampton port bomb threat
Armed police descended on Southampton cruise port at the weekend as the cruise terminal and a cruise ship was evacuated.
It followed a bomb threat made by a man at the terminal.
He claimed he was carrying an explosive device at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal, which was promptly evacuated.
The P&O cruises’ Ventura ship was also locked down.
Police made a 200-metre exclusion around the terminal and bomb disposal teams were called.
It turned out to be a hoax,
Images shared with local media showed police surrounding a truck and leading what is thought to be the driver away in handcuffs.
“We are satisfied that there is no risk to the public, and the cordon will now be lifted,” a Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson said.
The police all-clear came before all guests had evacuated the ship.
“The captain made an announcement that we were in the bomb zone and we had to get out. They stopped letting guests on board and closed off the port. Crazy stuff,” one passenger said.
Police said a 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense and communicating false information.
He was later bailed.
“Due to an earlier police incident and in an abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal,” a P&O Cruises spokesperson said.
“The safety of our guests, crew, and port staff is our highest priority. We are grateful for the cooperation of the authorities. Thank you for everyone’s patience whilst the precautionary measures were in place.”
The port lockdown caused traffic congestion along the waterfront for some time as no vehicles were allowed to enter.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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