A bomb threat forced a passenger plane to divert to a London airport under military escort for an emergency landing today.
The Olympic Airways flight from Athens to New York's JFK airport was carrying 301 passengers when it was re-routed to Stansted in Essex as a "full emergency".
The alert came after a Greek daily newspaper, Ethnos, received the telephone warning.
Police sources in Greece said authorities immediately notified the pilot, who asked for a military escort.
All passengers were evacuated safely following the landing at 3.30 p.m., according to an airport spokeswoman, and the plane is being searched.
She said: "Olympic Airways flight 411 from Athens to JFK was diverted into Stansted on a full emergency.
"It landed safely at 3.30 p.m. There were 301 passengers on board, all of whom have been evacuated safely."
She added: "There was a bomb threat to the aircraft received by a Greek newspaper in Athens so the aircraft on full emergency diverted to Stansted."
RAF planes escorted the flight and a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "A number of RAF planes were sent to the civil aircraft to Stansted airport at the request of civilian authorities."
The jets later returned to their base.
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said the aircraft "is on the ground and being searched as part of a standard response".
"It is not believed to be anything out of the ordinary at this stage," he said.
Fortunately nothing has exploded, if indeed there was a bomb on board, but we take all threats seriously."
Essex fire services said they were attending the scene, and a spokeswoman for Essex Police said the incident was being treated "as an emergency landing".
Airline officials said the search of the aircraft would take up to four hours and then passengers would continue their trip on the same plane.
PA