Police board easyJet flight at Gatwick Airport due to 'safety-related issue'

Footage posted online appears to show an officer on board the flight from Krakow in Poland after it landed at Gatwick on Saturday.

Airline passenger Joel Smith, who posted a photo online from inside the plane, said on Twitter: ‘Gatwick Airport stopped. Just landed but stuck on tarmac. Flight captain says “due to a security threat made towards aviation”. Emergency services currently checking aircraft.’

Giving an update, he claimed: ‘Non-specific threat made to Polish police against easyJet and so was protocol to check aircraft. On way to terminal.

‘Final update: Pilot advised it was a hoax.’

EasyJet said in a statement that its flight EZY8512 was met by police as it landed at Gatwick in West Sussex.

A spokeswoman for the low-cost airline said: ‘EasyJet can confirm that the flight EZY8512 arriving from Krakow on December 7 was met by the police upon arrival at London Gatwick as a result of safety-related issue.

‘The flight was cleared by authorities and landed in line with standard procedures and passengers disembarked as per normal.

‘We take very seriously any security threat to ensure the continued safety and security of our passenger and crew.’