LONDON, July 27: British police detained for several hours on Wednesday under anti-terrorism laws a man who was about to take a flight from London’s Luton airport to France. The man, who was travelling to the southern French city of Nimes, “has now been freed from detention,” said a statement from Bedfordshire police, which covers Luton, north of London.

The statement added that “the gentleman has been extremely helpful to police officers” and police would now help him make his onward journey after he missed his flight on Ryanair which had been delayed for security checks. The plane was later given clearance for take-off.

The man, who was not identified, had been detained under the Terrorism Act in an incident which sparked a security alert. The four July 7 London suicide bombers set off from Luton by train for the British capital before detonating their devices on three subway trains and a bus, killing 52 other people and wounding about 700.—AFP