Passengers evacuated from Liverpool airport

Thousands of passengers have been evacuated from Liverpool's main airport in what is being described as a technical problem with scanning machines.

Passengers were reportedly removed from planes already on the runway at John Lennon Airport, as well as from the departure lounge.

In a statement the airport said: "Due to a technical problem with one of the Airport's passenger scanning machines, all passengers have been removed from the Departure Lounge and are currently in the process of being re-screened.

"There is no threat to passenger safety with this re-screening process necessary in order to ensure security compliance."

UPDATE Passengers currently in the process of being re-screened at Liverpool https://t.co/1Fu0mgM5oH /pic: @RyanMcL2 pic.twitter.com/jqBEvNeFwK

— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) May 20, 2016