A P&O Cruise ship was forced to evacuate over the weekend after a man claimed he had an “explosive device.”
According to a report by ITV News, the incident occurred on Saturday at around 11:46 AM. UK police officers were dispatched to the Mayflower Cruise Ferry terminal in Southampton. The outlet explains that a 200m area was cordoned off around the P&O Cruises ship Ventura and the nearby terminal. Specialist officers reportedly searched a truck at the location. They arrested a man claiming to have an explosive device.
Hampshire Police released a statement to People, stating they found no such device after a search. “We are satisfied that there was no risk to the public,” they confirmed. Authorities also revealed that the suspect is a 63-year-old man. He was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense and communicating false information. People also contacted Associated British Ports, which runs the area where police conducted their search. They reportedly said in a statement, “We are aware of a security incident that occurred at the Port this morning, Saturday, Aug. 9. Police attended the scene and have since stood down. We will support any ongoing inquiries by the relevant authorities.”
P&O Cruises Released A Statement About The Incident
Per ITV News, P&O Cruises confirmed that they made the call to evacuate the ship. A spokesperson said, “Due to an earlier police incident and in an abundance of caution, we made the decision to evacuate Ventura and the passenger terminal. The safety of our guests, crew and port staff is our highest priority and we are grateful for the co-operation of the authorities, as well as everyone’s patience whilst the precautionary measures were in place.”
Regular port operations have now resumed. People reports that authorities have released the suspect on bail. He has a court hearing on November 8.
Last month, a passenger on board an Allegiant Air flight thought it was a good idea to tell other fliers his laptop was a bomb. He made the claim shortly after the plane took off, forcing the pilot to return to St. Pete-Clearwater Airport in Florida.
Authorities performed a sweep of the plane and the man’s belongings and found no explosives on board. Police reportedly charged the man with making a false bomb threat.