MANCHESTER, Sept 23: British police used a stun gun to subdue a man who burst through a security perimeter into northern England’s Manchester airport on Friday, causing a security scare that shut it down for over two hours.

“The man ran 200 metres beyond the security perimeter before the police tackled him,” Assistant Constable Steve Thomas of Greater Manchester Police told a news conference.

“A violent struggle ensued and it was felt necessary to use a Taser to restrain the individual.”

He said the man was carrying a briefcase which was later blown up by bomb disposal experts in a controlled explosion. It contained clothes, papers and a passport.

Parts of two terminals were evacuated and passengers on outgoing flights were told not to turn up. But the airport reopened after the suspicious package was checked.

“At no time did the man get anywhere near an airplane. The closest one was probably a minimum of 60 metres away,” airport manager John Spooner said. “It appears to us that the airport security system worked exactly as it was intended to.”

Britain has been on high alert for more attacks ever since four suicide bombers blew themselves up on the London transport system on July 7, killing 52 commuters, and four more men botched similar attacks two weeks later. Manchester Airport, in the northwest of England, is home to around 95 airlines flying more than 19 million passengers to over 170 destinations every year.—Reuters