A security guard of Securail patrols with his dog on a platform at the Eurostar terminal at Brussels Midi/Zuid rail station August 29, 2013. (Reuters)
Hundreds of rail passengers were left stranded in Paris overnight after a traveler attempted to take a World War II bomb on London-bound Eurostar train.
The Gare du Nord in the French capital was evacuated after officials discovered a "suspect package" on Monday evening.
Delays caused the cancellation of the last two trains to the St. Pancras station, leaving Brits who'd headed to France for the bank holiday stranded in Paris.
An extra train was organised for Tuesday morning in an attempt to return the desperate travellers.
Frustrated passengers were subjected to five-hour delays with little or no information about what was causing the hold up.
Long lines flowed round the Gare du Nord with cops being called as anger amongst the crowd grew.
Eurostar passengers stranded in Paris tonight after 'suspect package' sparks security alert https://t.co/rnVD4S9xQK pic.twitter.com/AdVgxvXX1f
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) May 30, 2016
The disruption at the Paris station compounded the stress and misery that had beset holidaymakers.
Unofficial strikes caused a petrol shortage in the country as a fifth of French petrol stations shut down.
Yet more problems are predicted this coming weekend as France's air traffic controllers threaten to down tools with anti austerity protests in Belgium expected to force the cancellation of some international trains.
A Eurostar worker at St Pancras told the Evening Standard, “Somebody tried to get a World War II shell through security in Paris, which was a souvenir, and so they decided to cancel two trains because it caused security concerns. It wasn't malicious or anything.
“But because there was also engineering work going on through the night in the tunnel, it meant they had to cancel them and were unable to run them later and some people had to stay overnight in Paris.”
This is one of several incidents since 2011 in which history buffs have tried to bring back wartime memorabilia.
Last May, relic hunters were caught with souvenirs from the battlefields by X-ray machines in Lille and Paris.
A Eurostar spokeswoman said, “People do try to bring back memorabilia quite a lot of the time. We have got a big notice up saying not to bring it on board.”
French authorities remain on a high alert following the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels.
They are also braced for a further influx of people as the Euro 2016 football championship gets under way this month.
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