Milan airport blocked by hare hunt

MILAN, June 17 (Reuters) Flights to and from Milan's Linate airport were suspended for three hours today while staff and volunteers tried to capture hares and rabbits which have been overrunning the runways.

The hunt succeeded in herding 57 hares and four rabbits into fenced off areas of the airport where they were captured to be taken to nearby nature reserves.

Airport authorities, more used to flight disruption due to wildcat strikes among staff of ailing national carrier Alitalia, said the operation had been a full success.

''It was necessary because animals passing in front of ground radar were creating false alarms in the control towers,'' said Marco Alberti, a director of SEA, the company which manages Milan's airports.

REUTERS PJ RN2316