THOUSANDS of people, many disabled or ailing, were evacuated from the shrine at Lourdes in southern France after a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax, on the Catholic holy day of The Assumption.

Thousands of people, many disabled or ailing, were evacuated today from the shrine at Lourdes in southern France after a bomb threat on the Catholic holy day of Assumption.

Thousands of people, many disabled or ailing, were evacuated from the shrine at Lourdes in southern France today after a bomb threat on the Catholic holy day of Assumption.