Sri Lanka Airlines bomb threat: Alan Patey to appear in court charged with making hoax

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A 49-year-old man will appear in court today charged over an alleged bomb threat hoax that led to an aircraft being diverted.

Alan Patey, of no fixed address, will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court later this afternoon.

A 57-year-old man was also arrested after the plane was forced to land at Stansted Airport in Essex on September 20.

The Sri Lankan Airlines A330 Airbus, which was carrying 267 passengers and crew, was due to land at Heathrow Airport but was diverted to Stansted just after 7.30pm.

Sources said the drama unfolded after a passenger was overheard claiming “something” was on board the flight in the luggage hold.