PASSENGERS traveling through Manchester Airport were caught attempting to take 284 cigarette lighters, pairs of scissors, blow torches, multi-tools, corkscrews, hacksaws and even packs of darts through security.
Eight toy guns were also confiscated in just one morning.
The haul of items barred from being taken on to flights was revealed as the airport urged people travelling during the school holidays to make sure they know hand luggage rules.
And anyone falling foul of regulations only adds to the waiting time through the facility which is often the cause of stress.
The most-confiscated item by far was the cigarette lighter. Passengers are permitted to carry one lighter with them, so long as it fits into a clear resealable plastic bag and contains under 100ml of liquid.
But bringing through multiple lighters is not allowed, which leads to many passengers having to turn them in and 284 were handed in.
Also taken were 22 pairs of scissors, five multi-tools, four corkscrews, two hacksaws and two packs of darts – all of which fell foul of UK aviation security regulations prohibiting sharp items or blades with a length of more than six centimetres (2.3 inches) in your hand luggage.
Eight toy guns were confiscated over the course of the morning – anything that is designed to resemble a firearm, or could be disguised as one, cannot be carried in hand luggage.
Several liquid items over 100ml were also confiscated – these included 12 cans of deodorant, two large soft drinks bottles, a bottle of shower gel and a one litre bottle of vodka.
Other items that failed to make the cut included a hammer and two small blow torches often used by chefs.
And Graham Matthews, head of terminal security at Manchester Airport’s terminal three, warned how people attempting to take through barred items can cause delays.
He said: “We want passengers to feel like they’re beginning their holidays here at Manchester Airport.
“Almost every passenger will wait for less than 15 minutes to get to security so they can then get through and relax in the departure lounge within minutes of arriving here.
“But each time we have to pull a bag aside for a manual search, it takes several minutes and every search adds up and can slow down the whole security process – not only for the passenger carrying a non-compliant item, but also for the passengers behind them in the queue.
“The variety of items we seized in just a couple of hours shows what we deal with every day. If we can cut that it will help everyone get through security even faster.
“We’re partway through installing new state-of-the-art CT (Computed Tomography) scanners that will allow passengers to leave large electrical items in their bags and bring through full-size containers of liquid in their hand luggage.
“You may encounter one of these new machines if you travel through, but until that work is complete across the airport, you might also encounter an older machine so the rules on liquids and electricals will remain the same as they have for the past 18 years.
“Please bring liquids in clear plastic containers of 100ml or less, in a clear resealable bag, and ensure you remove large electrical items from your bag and put them in a separate tray for screening.
“This helps us to keep you safe and get you through security checks more quickly, so you can get on with enjoying your holiday.”
The full list of items
284 cigarette lighters
22 pairs of scissors
12 cans of deodorant
8 toy guns
8 bullet casings
5 multi-tools
5 knives or blades longer than 6cm / 2.3in
4 corkscrews
2 hacksaws
2 packs of darts
2 large drinks bottles
2 blow torches
1 bottle of shower gel
1 hammer
1 1L bottle of vodka