Police officers swarmed the docks at Southampton following a bomb scare, with one member of the public telling the Mirror that passengers on a cruise liner were preparing to evacuate
Southampton: Cruise passengers watch armed police make arrest
Armed police were seen swooping in on a ferry terminal and dramatically arresting a man in front of bewildered cruise passengers today following a bomb scare.
Officers were captured on video swarming a van at Southampton port earlier this afternoon as passengers were told to assemble at muster points aboard the Ventura, a P&O cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands. Among them was Andy Palmer, an early embarker who was nearby the commotion when police set up a 200-metre perimeter.
He watched the arrest from the ship, and told of the moment he was informed of the bomb threat. Speaking to the Mirror, Mr Palmer said he had just got on the ferry and was enjoying “some lunch and a drink” when he saw “a guy being dragged out of his car by six armed policemen”.
He immediately took a video of the scene showing police with “tasers and guns” just a matter of feet away on the port. Police clad in all black could be seen handcuffing a man in front of the lorry.
Mr Palmer said that, at the time, he and other passengers were told to go to their muster points, and presumed people were being made to evacuate before having even departed the port. He added staff were “turning people away” from the vessel while “a couple of thousand” were waiting to embark.
He added that he headed to his muster station from the buffet, thinking at the time: “Hang on, that is a bomb. I’m only about under a feet away. Let’s move away from the buffet!”
Other passengers were a little less easy-going, with Mr Palmer saying “people are panicking” in a Facebook group for the cruise. He added: “I don’t think it’ll knock back [the cruise schedule] too much but it’s all a bit of a worry for people that have come a long way and paid a lot of money.”
A spokesperson for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed police were called to the scene following reports that a man was “claiming to be in possession of an explosive device”. They said: “Police are currently on scene at the Mayflower Cruise Ferry terminal in Southampton.
“This follows reports of a man claiming to be in possession of an explosive device. The man was arrested and a 200m cordon was put in place while specialist officers searched a lorry at the location.
“Searches have concluded and no such device has been located. We are satisfied that there is no risk to the public, and the cordon will now be lifted.”