The ‘suspicious’ suitcase was found at Gatwick Airport (Picture: SWNS, Getty)

Officers were left with (substitute) egg on their faces after a ‘huge drugs bust’ at Gatwick Airport turned out to be bags of vegan cake mix.

British Transport Police were called by cleaners after they found a suitcase stuffed with blue plastic bags of a suspicious-looking white powder on a shuttle train at the airport at around 1.34pm yesterday.

Officers, in collaboration with the Home Office, began testing the contents and discovered that – rather than anything illegal – the bags contained dairy-free cake mix belonging to Purezza, a plant-based restaurant in Brighton.

British Transport Police posted a picture of the ‘suspicious’ suitcase to Twitter, using the hashtag ‘#cakefine’.




They wrote: ‘Huge drugs bust at Gatwick Airport.

‘In collaboration with the Home Office, powders tested and discovered to be vegan cake ingredients.

‘Please label your foods and bring samples of cakes next time you visit.’

The suitcase of ‘drugs’ seized by British Transport Police which turned out to be bags of vegan cake mix (Picture: BTP /SWNS.COM)

Purezza tweeted a response, offering officers a slab of vegan cake next time they were in Brighton.

They said: ‘So, we had quite an eventful time transporting some of our ingredients today.

‘Thanks for going easy on us guys.

‘A slab of cake all round is in order when you’re next in Brighton.’

BTP jokingly replied: ‘And your secret recipe is safe with.’

British Transport Police confirmed there were no arrests after the cake mix was seized.

A spokesperson said: ‘Cleaners found a bag contained many bags in the first-class compartment of a train. Obviously it was tested and found to be exactly what it says in the tweet.

‘We spoke with the owner and there were no concerns.’

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