Frankfurt Airport evacuated: Departures hall shut after passenger causes security breach at Germany's largest airport

Police find 'no danger' after searching Terminal 1

A departures hall at Frankfurt Airport has reopened after being evacuated when a passenger caused a security breach.

A spokesperson for the German airport said a passenger - who was not immediately found - "entered the security area before the security check had been completed".

"Therefore the German federal police cleared departure hall A as a preventative measure," a statement added. "Passengers will be rechecked prior to departure."

Delays were expected as security checks continued at Terminal 1 of the airport, which is one of the busiest in Europe.

Departures boards did not immediately show disruption to scheduled flights, although an impact was expected later on Tuesday afternoon due to delayed security checks.

Footage showed large crowds of travellers held in corridors being instructed by security guards with megaphones.

Passengers said they were not told the reason for the evacuation as rumours circulated that a person tested positive for explosive material.

A police spokeperson could not confirm whether the security breach was deliberate or a mistake, or whether the person was carrying any banned items.

“The main aim of the evacuation is to ensure that the terminal is secure,” he added. "There is no bomb threat."

The airport police force later said searches of gate A found "no danger" to the public and that normal service would resume around 12.30pm local time (11.30am BST).

The alert came during a high state of alert in Germany, after a spate of Isis-inspired terror attacks.

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach last month, while a teenage refugee declared his support for the so-called Islamic State before launching an axe attack on a train.

Several other attacks have had no confirmed links to the group, including a shooting massacre that left nine people dead in Munich.

Frankfurt Airport was asking travellers to allow plenty of time for their journey and check flight statuses here.

The evacution caused knock-on delays across Europe, including at airports in London, France and Spain.