Air travellers flout knife ban

Thousands of knives and banned sharp implements are being confiscated at airports every day as passengers flout new security measures.

Airport operator BAA says 15,000 sharp items are confiscated daily at BAA's seven UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Banned items representing a security threat are found on an astonishing one in 15 passengers, despite widespread publicity over the tougher security checks.

About 2.5 million items have been taken off passengers since the 11 September terrorist hijackings. Knives, scissors and corkscrews are the most common objects confiscated.

A BAA spokeswoman said: " Passengers must understand it is not permissible to bring kitchen knives on to a plane just because they are going on a self-catering holiday. It is not causing delays to flights at present but, as the number of passengers increases from Easter, it is vital to prevent a situation where disruption could occur."