Amsterdam Schiphol airport evacuated over 'British man shouting bomb threat'

Airport officials say the closure was ordered by police, and that the terminal has since reopened

File image of security checks at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam (Getty Images)

A Dutch airport has been evacuated by police after a British man reportedly started shouting that he was carrying a bomb.

Officials at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam confirmed that an incident took place at around 8am on New Year's Day, and witnesses described scenes of panic on social media.

According to Dutch media reports, a 29-year-old British national was detained by police while parts of the terminal were cordoned off and searched.

Broadcaster NOS said the man's luggage was searched with sniffer dogs but no explosives were found, and the airport was reopened after around 20 minutes.

Many European capitals were on high alert as they saw in the new year, with celebrations and some major transport hubs shut down in Paris, Brussels and Munich.

It was not immediately clear why the man had allegedly made the bomb threat, though reports in the Netherlands suggested he did so a number of times. He has been taken away for questioning.