BA flight lands after bomb hoax

Some 118 passengers were on board

A bomb threat which forced flight BA983 to make an emergency landing in Amsterdam was a hoax, the company says.

The aircraft from Berlin to London, was diverted to Schiphol airport but later given the all-clear by the authorities.

It is due to arrive at Heathrow later, while the aircraft's 118 passengers - who were screened at airport - have arrived in London on a separate plane.

Two German broadcasters said they had received anonymous phone calls saying something would happen to the flight.

Military escort

German public broadcaster ARD and commercial station PRO 7 had both called the police following the warning calls received at 1030 GMT.

The crew on the aircraft had asked ground staff in the Netherlands for a military escort.

Royal Dutch air force jets were immediately scrambled.

The passengers were taken off the aircraft while police carried out checks.

Two Olympic Airways flights destined for New York were diverted this week after bomb scares which turned out to be hoaxes.

The first of these aircrafts made an emergency landing at Stansted airport in Essex on Sunday while the other landed at Shannon in Ireland on Tuesday.

Both were able to continue their journeys after searches of the aircraft revealed nothing.