Multiple European flights hit by bomb threats for second time this week

Two flights travelling to Rome have faced bomb threats, officials have said.

An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 plane which departed Dublin on Thursday morning issued an emergency alert, diverted and landed at Evreux air base in northern France.

Meanwhile, Finnish airline Finnair said there was a bomb threat against one of its planes travelling from Helsinki to the Italian capital on Thursday. It was escorted by air force jets and landed as scheduled.

It comes just days after eight European flights, including two departing from the UK, were targeted by suspected bomb threats. No explosives were found on any of the planes after searches.

A statement from Aer Lingus confirmed that flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome "diverted to Normandy this morning as a security precaution."

It added: "The flight landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to re-accommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, a Wizz Air flight travelling from Milan to Warsaw also issued an emergency alert before diverting to Vienna, Austria - though there has been no report of a bomb threat and the reason is unclear.

On Tuesday, seven planes were searched after bomb threats were made.

Two were from the UK - one travelling from Manchester which landed in Murcia, Spain, the other from London Heathrow to Warsaw, Poland.

Two Ryanair flights - one leaving Dublin and the other from Lisbon - were searched after landing in Rome following anonymous tips but no explosives were found, sources at the city's Fiumicino airport told the BBC.

The sources added that police bomb disposal experts carried out standard security protocols to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew, and the alert was then cleared.

The UK government described the incidents as "malicious hoax threats".