US police say pilot 'threatening to crash plane into a Walmart'

The pilot of a small plane circling over Tupelo, Mississippi, has threatened to crash the aircraft into a Walmart store, US police said.

Tupelo police said the Walmart and a nearby convenience store had been evacuated

Tupelo police said the Walmart and a nearby convenience store had been evacuated.

The plane started circling about 5am local time (11am BST) and was still in the air more than three hours later.

Police said they have made contact with the pilot directly.

“Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given,” police said.

“With the mobility of an aeroplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo.”