A gay couple allegedly caused a bomb scare at Heathrow airport yesterday during an argument.

Armed officers surrounded a 72-year-old man at Terminal 5 after police received a call claiming he had a bomb and “planned to blow something up”, reports the Evening Standard.

A source told the newspaper: “These allegations have to be taken seriously and precautions needed to be taken. Once the man at Heathrow was stopped and searched he was quickly ruled out.”

The source added: “Someone gave the man’s name and said that he had a bomb in his bag and was on his way to blow something up. He did not specify what.”

Today a man in his thirties was arrested on suspicion of making the hoax call. He is believed to be the civil partner of the older man.

Armed police and British Transport Police launched an operation in response to the call to try and stop the man before he boarded a train at Oxford railway station, but were unable to find him until he reached Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

Part of the building and terminal were evacuated and closed for over an hour at lunchtime yesterday while the man was searched. Police managed to find him before he passed through airport security.

Officers told the Standard that the younger man faces prosecution for wasting police time and making false claims about a bomb.