London airport evacuated after 'suspicious item' found

LONDON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- London's Luton Airport was evacuated Monday following the discovery of a "suspicious item" outside the terminal.

According to a statement from the airport, "a suspicious item was found in the security search area," prompting the airport to suspend all incoming flights and to close the road leading to the airport.

"Passengers are advised to contact their airlines to establish the status of their flights," the airport added.

Monday's incident comes amid heightened security awareness following the British government's decision to raise the terror threat level from "substantial" to "severe" in response to "developments in Syria and Iraq where terrorist groups are planning attacks against the West."