Security officials at Manchester aiport in Britain have been forced to examine hundreds of suitcases by hand because the baggage scanner system could not tell the difference between Christmas puddings and Semtex plastic explosive.

The puddings, carried by passengers going on holiday abroad, caused the security scanners to sound an alarm.

An airport spokesman said Christmas puddings -- made of dried fruit, fat and spices -- had an unusual density, similar to Semtex.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service