Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Boy, 12, makes a mockery of air security

A top level security probe is under way after a 12-year-old boy walked on to a plane unchecked with no documents at the height of the terror scare. The boy boarded a plane at Gatwick on Monday despite airport security being on red-alert. The boy managed to board a plane at Gatwick on Monday despite airport security being on red-alert following a foiled terrorist threat to blow up 20 UK planes last week.

The boy, from Penrith, Cumbria, had run away from a care home in Birkenhead, Merseyside, and boarded the plane bound for Lisbon at around 6am.

It was only after passing through airport security, boarding the plane and being handed a drink and a snack that a member of staff from Monarch airlines realised he didn't have a passport or boarding pass.

A spokesman from BAA Gatwick said: 'The boy had passed through a full security screening process and we are confident there was no threat to passengers, staff or the aircraft at any time.'

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