Britain has dismissed a series of bomb threats on flights across Europe as a "malicious hoax". Eight planes, including three from Britain, were targeted in the past day, raising fears of a coordinated attack. A government spokesman assured that the UK has strong aviation security systems and that the police and intelligence agencies are equipped to deal with such threats. The identity of the senders of the threats and whether they were coordinated by a foreign country remain undisclosed. Two Ryanair planes were searched in Rome, one accompanied by the Italian Air Force. Additional flights were checked in Warsaw and Sofia, and a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia landed safely in Spain after receiving a security threat.