Direct flights from Yemen to the UK have been suspended after a suspicious package was found at East Midlands Airport.

The package was from a US-registered cargo plane on its way to Chicago. It originated in Yemen and was addressed to a destination in the United States.

Home Secretary Theresa May said in a statement: "We are urgently considering what steps need to be put in place regarding security of freight originating from Yemen. For security reasons there are currently no direct flights from Yemen to the UK.

She added: "We are working closely with our international colleagues and will continue to do so. At this stage there is nothing to suggest that any location in the UK was being targeted."

An Emirates flight from Dubai carrying a package from Yemen has landed at New York's John F Kennedy Airport after being escorted US fighter jets. An FBI spokesman said: "This is only because there is cargo from Yemen on the flight. There is no known threat associated with this cargo or this flight."

The US Anti-Defamation League says there is a threat to US Jewish institutions from packages mailed from Britain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.