UK Ferry Tickets

Passengers travelling at UK airports could face further delays, just in time for the peak summer holidays.

A new government requirement on airports to carry out random tests of liquids in hand luggage has now come into force. Passengers can carry up to one litre of liquids in containers of not more than 100ml in a clear, sealable plastic bag.

A spokesman at Heathrow claimed that it had been running tests on the system and there should not be any impact on passengers.

Let’s hope he’s right, but the comments are at odds with a statement from the Department for Transport, which was leaked on to a pilots’ discussion forum, which said it anticipated inconvenience for customers, airport staff and crew travelling through UK airports. It added the new rules could potentially impact the speed of security processing.

Of course, we all want security to be tight, but the hugely sensitive point is whether it should be random or targeted.

I’ve long argued that it should be targeted, based on intelligence about who is most likely to be a terrorist. This does not mean focusing on foreign nationals as we know many potential terrorists have been British. It just means using the intelligence and information that we have. I see little point in searching the hand luggage of a little old granny, just to be seen to be doing the right thing, unless, of course, she fits the profile of people we are looking for.

When I go to football matches, I’m thoroughly searched because most hooligans are, like me, white males of a certain age. I’ve not had a fight in the several hundred games that I’ve been to, but I’ve got no problem with the policy.

Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007