AN ENTIRE French airport had to be evacuated after a Nottingham woman tried to board a plane with a Second World War shell in her luggage.

The 55-year-old, whose name has not been released, was getting on a Ryanair jet at Bergerac, in the Dordogne, when the shell was spotted by security guards scanning her suitcase.

She said she bought the 37mm military explosive in a second-hand shop as a present for her husband.

Bomb squad officers were called and took the shell, which was originally used in army field guns, to nearby wasteland.

More than 1,000 passengers and staff were evacuated from the terminal building while the device was removed.

The bomb squad destroyed the shell with a controlled explosion. They and said it had contained very little of its original explosive.

A French police spokesman said: "[The woman] told us she had no idea taking a military shell through airport security would cause such a fuss.

"She said she bought it because her husband collected military memorabilia.

"Her story proved to be genuine, so charges will not be brought."

The 10.05 Ryanair flight from Bergerac to East Midlands Airport on Thursday finally took off 90 minutes late with the woman on board, airport officials said.