Police suspended over bomb gaffe

The explosives could have left France on any one of 90 flights

French authorities have suspended two dog-handlers who lost track of plastic explosives they hid in a passenger's bag at a Paris airport.

The 150g (5oz) bar of explosives was slipped into the pocket of a random bag during a sniffer-dog training exercise - and has still not been recovered.

The Paris gendarmerie headquarters said its two officers could face charges of serious professional misconduct.

The explosives could have left France on any one of 90 flights on Friday.

'Scandalous' error

French authorities were forced to alert dozens of airlines to warn them that the explosives might be aboard.

A police spokesman said the chocolate bar-sized package could not be activated without detonators.

The explosives were placed in a zipped compartment of a small, dark blue hold-all on a conveyor belt at Charles de Gaulle airport as part of a routine test.

One dog detected the package but police lost sight of the suitcase when they went to pick up a second dog to take part in the security exercise.

France's Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin ordered an inquiry on Monday into what he called a "scandalous" airport security gaffe.

French police have said they will stop using passengers' luggage for training.