Security staff at German airports are under fire for a third evacuation in 10 days - the latest triggered by a sex toy.

A screening team at Berlin’s Schonefeld Airport, one of the six busiest in Germany, mistook an Ann Summers vibrator for a hand grenade and ordered an evacuation of part of the terminal.

The offending item was identified during an X-ray at the outsize baggage check-in area on Tuesday.

The airport tweeted: “Due to police investigation concerning a piece of baggage, check-in at Terminal D is currently restricted.”

The owner of the offending luggage was reported by Morgenpost to be a 31-year-old man who said he had bought the vibrator for his girlfriend. He was allowed to continue his journey with the sex toy still in his luggage.

The airport tweeted: "Police Investigation is over. Terminal D reopened. However, further impairments in passenger handling possible."

Schonefeld was the main airport of the German Democratic Republic, and is now used mainly by low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.

Also on Tuesday, dozens of flights were cancelled at Germany’s biggest airport, Frankfurt, when the “airside” area was penetrated by a traveller who had side-stepped the security search area.

Departures were halted as passengers were evacuated “landside” so that they could be re-screened.

Dozens of flights were cancelled, while Eurocontrol said: “Arrivals regulated due to security reasons. Moderate to high delays.”

On 28 July, 300 flights were cancelled at Munich airport after a passenger was able to avoid the security check.