Minister in airport liquids blunder

Britain's security minister Baroness Neville-Jones was asked to remove liquids from her bag by airport staff
12 April 2012

Britain's security minister Baroness Neville-Jones was left red-faced after she was asked to remove liquids from her bag by airport staff, it has emerged.

The blunder was picked up during security checks that were introduced in 2006 to prevent would-be terrorists from using liquid bombs to bring down planes. Passengers are restricted to 100ml bottles of liquid in their hand luggage.

The Home Office minister, who is responsible for national security, had been on her way to a summit in Washington, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The newspaper said the Baroness, 71, had flown to the US from Heathrow Airport just two days before explosives were discovered hidden in an ink cartridge on a US-bound plane at East Midlands Airport.

She was reportedly carrying liquids that exceeded the limit.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Liquids were inadvertently left in a bag while the minister was travelling through airport security.

"The item was removed and the minister fully complied with subsequent checks.

"The minister of course respects and complies with all airport security procedures."

The Baroness was a diplomat until 1996 and made a Conservative peer in 2007. She was appointed security minister by the coalition Government.

Speaking in the House of Lords on Monday, the Baroness had said: "The view that the Government takes is that airport security is extraordinarily important and we cannot let our guard down."

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