French citizen charged with possessing weapons after Gatwick security alert

A 41-year-old man from France has been charged with possession of an air rifle and knife following a security alert at Gatwick airport. The alert caused chaos at the airport's North Terminal on Saturday, 14 November.

Jerome Chauris, from Vendome, is due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Monday, said police in a statement.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers carried out a controlled explosion at the terminal, after passengers and staff were evacuated from the building. The North Terminal was closed for six hours as a result of the alert.

DS Nick May said on Saturday the terror attacks in Paris had led to "heightened awareness around any such incident and it is best that we treat the matter in all seriousness".