Dublin Airport has evacuated one of its terminals after a security alert which has forced hundreds of passengers to stand outside.

Huge crowds of people have been forced to leave the airport's Terminal 2 building as a 'precautionary measure', although the reason behind this remains unclear.

Ireland's Defence Forces have reportedly been asked to send the bomb disposal squad to the airport if they are needed, according to the Irish Independent.

Members of the Garda and airport police have been pictured on the scene, while parts of the road have also been cordoned off.

Dublin airport said in a statement: 'Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport has been evacuated this morning as a safety precaution.

'Passenger and staff safety is our top priority. Anyone at the airport should follow staff to assembly points.

'Flight operations may be temporarily impacted.

'Please check with your airline for updates. Further info to follow. Thank you for your patience.'

Passengers wait outside Dublin Airport after a security alert forced hundreds of people to be evacuated

Huge crowds of people stand outside Dublin's Terminal 2 building following an evacuation

The incident in Dublin comes just hours after a cyber attack disrupted check-in and boarding systems across several other major European airports.

Passengers are experiencing delays at three airports after hackers targeted Collins Aerospace, which provides services for multiple airlines globally, on Friday night.

Heathrow has warned of delays and advised customers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling, while a number of departures were also cancelled.

Brussels and Berlin have also been affected by the cyber attack, with the former confirming that 10 flights had been cancelled and 17 flights were experiencing delays of more than one hour.

Dublin airport is evacuated following security alert