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Manchester Airport reveals shocking list of 400 items confiscated by security in just one morning

22 pairs of scissors, eight toy guns, two blow torches, and SO many lighters.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 11th April 2024

Manchester Airport has revealed a shocking list of almost 400 items confiscated by security staff in just one morning.

And honestly, you won’t believe some of the things people’ve tried to take on a plane.

With the Easter break drawing to a close now across Greater Manchester, and children throughout the region getting ready to return to the classroom, Manchester Airport is urging all passengers travelling during the final few days of the school holidays to make sure they know the hand luggage rules before boarding the plane.

It comes after 22 pairs of scissors, eight toy guns, two blow torches, and even a couple of packs of darts, were just some of the goods confiscated at security gates in just one morning.

According to security staff, the most-confiscated item, by far, was the cigarette lighter – with 284 of them handed in over the course of the morning.

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Manchester Airport reveals shocking list of 400 items confiscated by security in just one morning / Credit: Manchester Airport

Passengers are permitted to carry one lighter with them, as long as it fits into a clear resealable plastic bag and contains under 100ml of liquid, but bringing through multiple lighters is not allowed, and this is what led to so many people having to turn them in.

As well as the lighters, scissors, toy guns, blow torches, and packs of darts, some of the other items confiscated on the morning include five multi-tools, four corkscrews, two hacksaws, 12 cans of deodorant, and even a hammer… yes, an actual hammer.

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Two large soft drinks bottles, a bottle of shower gel, and a one-litre bottle of vodka were a few of the other shocking confiscations.

Full list of items confiscated at Manchester Airport security in one morning

  • 284 cigarette lighters
  • 22 pairs of scissors
  • 12 cans of deodorant
  • Eight toy guns
  • Eight bullet casings
  • Five multi-tools
  • Five knives or blades (longer than 6cm / 2.3in)
  • Four corkscrews
  • Two hacksaws
  • Two packs of darts
  • Two large drinks bottles
  • Two blow torches
  • One bottle of shower gel
  • One hammer
  • One 1L bottle of vodka

“We want passengers to feel like they’re beginning their holidays here at Manchester Airport,” commented Graham Matthews, who is Head of Terminal Security for Terminal 3 at Manchester Airport, on the list of confiscated items.

“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.

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“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.

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“The variety of items we seized in just a couple of hours shows what we deal with every day, so if we can cut that, it will help everyone get through security even faster.”

Featured Image – Manchester Airport