A Malaysia Airlines plane was forced to return to Melbourne after a man who claimed to have a bomb attempted to enter the cockpit.

Shortly after take-off, passengers onboard flight MH128, traveling from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur, tackled a man carrying a strange object as he moved towards the front of the plane.

Cabin crew then restrained the man before the police arrived at around 11.40pm and a tactical response police took control of the the Airbus A330.

Police have confirmed that the man did not have a bomb and that the incident was not an act of terror.