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Taking to Twitter as the confusion breaks, Asha Umrawsignh posted a picture of passengers queuing at the terminal. In a further Tweet, she wrote: "@STN_Airport can you tell us what is happening, please? Just been asked to vacate the terminal... A little info would appease a lot of people."

© Twitter StansteadA Stansted Airport spokesperson confirmed the evacuation was due to a suspicious package in the terminal building.

They said: "Following reports of a suspicious package in the area, a partial evacuation of the terminal is taking place.

"Essex Police are managing the response and will provide an update on the situation soon."© Getty LDN STN

Ms Umrawsingh continued: Asha Umrawsingh, who is at the airport, told The Mirror: "We were about to go through security and they asked us to move back and then out of the terminal."

Dr David de Lorenzo tweeted: "Stansted Airport has been partly evacuated. People asked to leave the stores leaving the shopping carts behind, and being closed in a hurry."

Video from outside the terminal shows hundreds of passengers waiting in the airport car park, with Jet 2 staff also standing outdoors.