Police have lifted cordons at Southend Airport after a suspicious bag was found to be harmless.

A spokesman for Essex Police said they were alerted to the bag’s presence at 10.40am after it was found by airport staff off a roundabout in the airport approach road behind a sign.

An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from the Ministry of Defence was called to deal with the bag.

On inspection it was found to contain only rubbish and old clothes.

The cordon put in place by the police was lifted shortly after 1pm and traffic congestion was expected to clear quickly.