Armed man shot with Taser

A man was shot with a Taser stun gun by police at Gatwick Airport early today after being spotted carrying a handgun.

The suspect, in his 40s, boarded a bus from Crawley, West Sussex, to the airport shortly after 2am and a passenger raised the alarm after seeing him with the gun.

The man, from the Crawley area, went into the South Terminal building at the airport where he was apprehended by police on routine patrol who used a Taser gun to disable him.

He was arrested and taken into custody at Crawley where he remains awaiting questioning, a Sussex Police spokesman said.

Sources said the incident was not terrorist-related.

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison, head of operations for Sussex Police, said: "This incident was dealt with promptly by my officers. Such incidents are rare and the speed and professionalism in which it was resolved meant that no-one at the airport was harmed."

Geoff Williams, head of security at Gatwick Airport, added: "The joint security arrangements between the airport and the police worked effectively to resolve the situation promptly and without injury.

"There is no suggestion, at this stage, that threats were made to passengers or aircraft."

Sussex Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on 0845 6070 999.