Mother's fury after airport security staff seize five-year-old son's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy weapons



Staff at Leeds Bradford Airport confiscated three of Alfie Waine's toys

The toys were in mother Emma Hardy's hand luggage at the time

The West Yorkshire airport has a ban on flying with imitation or toy guns

But angry mother Emma Hardy, 31, described the policy as 'ridiculous'



'Ridiculous': Alfie Waine and his mother Emma Hardy were unimpressed by security staff at Leeds Bradford Airport who confiscated the five-year-old's toy weapons

Airport security staff seized a five-year-old's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys - because they look like imitation weapons.

Staff at Leeds Bradford Airport confiscated the colourful toys - an eight inch plastic Leonardo sword, a Donatello staff and a silver light up laser handgun - when Alfie Waine went through security with his mother Emma Hardy.

Workers at the West Yorkshire airport wouldn't let the youngster take the toys on a flight to Dublin in his mother's hand luggage as they breached security regulations.

Ms Hardy, 31, said: 'It's ridiculous. They just need to think sensibly about this.

'The flight is not going to be held up by a five-year-old boy with a plastic sword - they need to assess the risk that they could pose.'

The toys were taken from Ms Hardy's hand luggage after security scanners picked up a potted candle inside her bags and they were searched.

She said: 'He was really upset as they're his favourite toys. He could see that his toys had been taken out of his suitcase and was asking where they were going.

'He was especially upset when we were told they were going in the bin.

'It's so silly. They're plastic toys and he's a five-year-old boy.

'If he had started waving them about on the plane - which he wouldn't because they would be in the suitcase - nobody is going to be frightened about that.

'A bit of common sense wouldn't go amiss. I'm all for security but you've got to assess what the risk is. I can't imagine how this is a risk to security.'

Ms Hardy said that the airport should consider setting up a facility where people could leave such items to collect on their return or that they should donate items such as toys to charity.

Not allowed: Security staff at the airport deemed Alfie's Leonardo sword was a breach of flight regulations

Taken: Alfie's Donatello sword was also confiscated by staff at Leeds Bradford Airport

Airport spokesman Andrew Shaw, said: 'We are directed through legislation that anything that looks like or replicates a firearm weapon must be confiscated.

'All passengers are given the option to take these items back to their car or post home.

'We confiscate a vast quantity of items and liquids in our daily operation and ultimately these items are disposed of by Leeds Bradford Airport.'

Ms Hardy says that staff did not offer her the option of taking the toys back to the car and that she would have done this had she been told she could do that.

The airport's website includes a list of items prohibited on flights.

As well as toy or replica guns, restricted items also include razor blades, disposable lighters, scissors with a bladed length of six centimetres or over and safety pins.

Snooker and pool cues, some umbrellas and household cutlery are also banned.

Confiscated: Five-year-old Alfie was particularly upset when he was told that the toys, including this light up laser handgun, would be put in the bin



