More than 600 firearms were discovered in passengers’ luggage at British airports last year, up from 412 the previous year and 278 in 2010/11.
The figures were revealed by shipping firm Barrington Freight as Luton Airport was brought to a standstill after a ‘suspicious item’ was spotted in a hand bag as it was passed through a security scanner.
By the time it was discovered that the ‘supsicious item’ was nothing more dangerous than a pair of hair straighteners, dozens of flights had been diverted or cancelled.
However, Barrington Freight revealed that last year UK border staff seized 605 firearms, including air and gas guns and ‘realistic’ imitations.
The figures, obtained using a Freedom of Information request, have risen sharply since 2010/11.
