Flags at half mast in Portsmouth after Brussels bombs

Many people are feared dead and many more were injured after terrorist bomb attacks on the main airport and Metro system in Brussels.

The coordinated attacks came as the Belgian capital was on a high level of alert following the arrest of Paris atrocity suspect Salah Abdeslam in the city last week.

Councillor Donna Jones, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: ‘The terrorist attakcs in Brussels today are yet another shock and wake up call to the Western world that the threat from terrorism is not going away.

‘The UK is on its highest security alert it can be unless we’re under threat of imminent attack.

‘Portsmouth is a military city and has been extremely vigilant for a number of years because of the escalating situation around the world.

‘My thoughts are with the families of those killed in today’s atrocity.’

She added: ‘The city will be flying its flags at half mast.’

There were unconfirmed reports of shots being fired and shouting in Arabic at the airport in what Belgian media said was a suicide attack.

At least one explosion hit the Metro system near a station close to European Union buildings.

On the Metro, traveller Evan Lamos tweeted a picture of passengers climbing from his train into the tunnel, saying: ‘We are being evacuated from the back of the Metro, between Schuman and Maelbeek.’