Jet bomb hoax man sectioned

A man arrested after a suspected bomb hoax on a UK-bound flight has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, police said.

The 47-year-old from the north west was arrested by armed officers who greeted flight QR23 from Doha, Qatar, when it arrived at Manchester Airport on Tuesday, escorted by an RAF Typhoon jet.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Following his arrest he was assessed by medical staff and again by a mental health team. He was subsequently sectioned to allow for a fuller assessment and appropriate treatment.”

The alert was sparked by fears of “a possible device on board” but police pronounced the jet clear after searching it.