A woman teacher from Britain caused a major security alert at a Moscow airport after a 'hand grenade' was spotted in her suitcase.

The 46-year-old - named only as Julie - was held and quizzed by police and FSB secret service officers after the discovery as urgent checks were conducted.

The item was later described by officials as a 'hoax grenade', which the woman - due to check in for a flight to London - said she had bought at a Moscow market.

What appears to be a hand grenade was found in the woman's suitcase at Moscow airport

A 46-year-old British woman was held and quizzed after the discovery of the grenade, which she said was bought in a market

Security teams at Sheremetyevo Airport detained the woman for interrogation as bomb disposal officers were summoned.

Part of the busy airport was sealed off.

The lookalike weapon showed on a scanner during a compulsory luggage check at a terminal entrance .

The London woman was searched and faced questioning by FSB security service officers before being released and allowed to fly home.

The fake weapon was impounded by Russian airport security officers.

A security officials examining another passenger's bag at the airport, part of which was sealed off after the discovery

The grenade was found during a a compulsory luggage check at a terminal entrance

The incident happened at Moscow's Sheremetyevo, part of which was sealed off after the incident

It is believed to be not a toy but a lookalike grenade used by the Russian military for training exercises.

Pictures showed the item after her bags were opened during a search at Sheremetyevo airport.

The teacher said that she had bought 'grenade' at a street market in Moscow and intended too show it to her students during a history lesson at her London school.

She was on a short pre-Christmas holiday to the Russian capital.

The incident was on 21 December - the same day foreign secretary Boris Johnson flew to Moscow.

However, details were only released today,

Russia has a high level of security at airports ahead of a year that will see both presidential elections and the finals of the FIFA World Cup.

The capital's airports have been previously attacked by terrorists.