BIG Country guitarist Bruce Watson today told how his luggage sparked a major airport security scare.

The 80s' chart-topper was flying from Amsterdam to Edinburgh when baggage handlers put one of his cases on a flight to Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.

The locked Samsonite briefcase contained five guitar effects pedals and a battery-powered tuner, all linked by electrical cable.

Security workers at Liverpool spotted the case travelling around a carousel on its own and took it to be x-rayed.

Concerned that the battery and cables were parts of a bomb, they ordered the airport to be evacuated.

Police officers managed to contact Watson, 41, by making a tannoy announcement at Edinburgh Airport, where he was reporting his lost case.

He said today: "I was given a mobile phone and this Liverpool voice came on saying it's DCI so-and-so at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

"He asked me if I had lost a case and I said 'You haven't blown it up, have you?'

"He said, 'No, but we're about to'. I explained who I was and told him what was in the case. I was saying, 'Honestly, I'm a musician, I was in Big Country'.

"Luckily he was a bit of a musician himself and he knew what I was talking about. I gave him the combination and he went off and checked it out.

"Full credit to the security people, though. They acted really quickly and sorted it out."

A spokeswoman for Liverpool John Lennon Airport said passengers were evacuated from the terminal for 15 minutes, but air traffic continued as normal.

The incident took place on Sunday after Watson had been in Amsterdam to play at a fans' convention and promote an Ultimate Collection DVD along with fellow bandmates Tony Butler and Mark Brzezcki.

Mike Peters, of The Alarm, sang in place of ex-lead singer Stuart Adamson, who committed suicide last year.

Big Country sold more than ten million records worldwide with hits including Look Away, In A Big Country and Fields of Fire.