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
“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.
“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
News
‘Unsettled week’ of wind, rain, and snow could greet Mancs into the new year
Thomas Melia
A mix of weather conditions could be expected to hit the north across the new year weekend – including wind, rain, and snow.
As Greater Manchester prepares to enter 2025, it looks like we’ll be bringing our usual moody weather along with us too, as starting today and running right through until the end of this week, Mancs can expect some not-so-pleasant conditions to accompany this party season.
The Met Office has described this period as ‘an unsettled week’.
While forecasters are encouraging people to keep checking for further weather updates where possible, thankfully, this turbulent spell of weather is only predicted to stick around until Thursday (2 January) – with no warnings issued for this Friday (3 January) or the weekend so far.
As we move from 2024 to 2025 the week ahead will involve plenty of rain, wind and some snow
If you have any plans over the New Year/Hogmanay period then check out all the important weather details below ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/qllOnV0cDX
In a video shared to the Met Office’s X account, the visual shows that the most severe cases of wet and windy conditions look like on New Year’s Day itself (Wednesday 1 January), where there is even some snow forecasted for certain areas.
“Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning during the coming week,” warned Andy Page, who is the Chief Forecaster at the Met Office.
He continued: “With lots of celebrations and people on the move over the coming days, we are urging everyone to keep checking the forecast so they can update their plans.”
Picturesque Greater Manchester railway granted £1.3m to restore historic viaduct
Emily Sergeant
One of Greater Manchester’s most picturesque railways has been given substantial funding to restore a historic viaduct along the line.
As part of the Government‘s wider Plan for Change, the Bury-based heritage railway, East Lancashire Railway (ELR), has been awarded more than £1.3 million in grants to carry out urgent repair work to the Higher Woodhill Viaduct – which is on the edge of Burrs Country Park, in the heart of the stunning Irwell Valley.
Repairs to the historic viaduct, which goes past the site of the former Higher Woodhill Mill, were last carried out all the way back in 1932.
But now, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has granted the funding for restoration through its ‘Community Ownership Fund’, alongside three local authorities from Bury, Rochdale, and the nearby Rossendale in Lancashire, all putting in a further £276,000 in match funding.
We’re supporting local treasures across the UK with vital funding
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) December 23, 2024
Important supporters of the railway, such as members of the public and local businesses, have also added a few thousand pounds more to the project.
While inspections to the structure and safety of the viaduct are carried out on a regular basis, ELR assures, it was flagged earlier in 2024 that long-term repairs would be required to allow for the “continued level of use” of steam and heritage diesel trains along the line.
Speaking on the funding being granted, Mike Kelly, who is the Chairman of East Lancashire Railway, commented: “This is a major investment for the future and a massive vote of confidence for our dedicated volunteers and staff to help secure the railway’s infrastructure for years to come.
“Now with this fantastic news, we are able to continue running our award-winning events and services without disruption for future generations to enjoy, thanks to the generosity and support of the East Lancashire Railway Trust, our local community partners and supporters, as well as local and national politicians.”
Essential maintenance works are due to start next year in the spring.
Emily Sergeant -
11th April 2024 
