UK security minister in airport liquids gaffe

Monday, 8th November 2010

Baroness Neville-Jones, the Home Office minister with responsibility for the UK’s national security is at the centre of an embarrassing cock-up, it has emerged, after she tried to carry liquids in excess of security limits past security at Heathrow Airport. Even more embarrassing for the minister is the fact that she was heading to a meeting in the USA about the war on terror.

The rules limiting passengers from bringing containers of liquid exceeding 100ml in size onto passenger flights were introduced quite some time ago. It has been nearly three years since the rules were introduced early in 2008 in a bid to combat the risk of terrorists sneaking explosives onto aircraft.

Security staff had to ask the minister to remove the offending item from her baggage. It was reportedly just two days later that explosives were found hidden in a printer ink cartridge on a jet at East Midlands Airport. A spokesperson for the Home Office said liquids had inadvertently been left in baggage as the minister travelled through security at the airport. The minister removed the item and complied fully with following security checks.

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