Reporters find cracks in UK national security
Date: 10-Sep-02
Country: UK
In what has become something of a media obsession, a reporter from the tabloid The People smuggled a steel meat cleaver onto a domestic flight, while another from the News of The World used fake references to gain access to a nuclear reactor.
Nuclear sites and airports are considered high on terrorist hit-lists, with security significantly stepped up after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
The lapses were reported days after another journalist smuggled an imitation pistol onto a plane at London's Heathrow airport.
They also come after a Swedish man of Tunisian origin was arrested last month on suspicion of trying to hijack a plane bound for Britain from near Stockholm.
In The People's investigation, reporter Roger Insall cleared airport security with a meat cleaver and a four-inch dagger concealed in a hairbrush - two much more formidable weapons than the "box-cutters" said to have been used in the September 11 hijacked airliner attacks.
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"Amazingly, we were able to pull the weapons out mid-flight right under the noses of two uniformed flight attendants sharing the same row of seats," Insall said.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said he was extremely concerned.
"I have asked for an immediate report from the airport operator to find out exactly what happened and what remedial action has been taken," Darling said in a statement.
"I cannot stress enough the importance of the aviation industry being as vigilant as they possibly can," he said.
BAA Plc, which runs Heathrow airport, said it took any breach of security seriously.
"We're concerned these items were apparently taken through our security, but items deliberately concealed can be difficult to detect," a spokesman said.
"We keep our security under constant review and we are actively seeking to improve security processes through new technologies, working with the government and research agencies.
BAA added that thousands of banned items were confiscated from passengers daily and that all hold luggage was thoroughly screened.
The News of The World reporter took a job as a fire-watcher at the Dungeness B nuclear power station in Kent, southern England.
Though he was not given clearance by the Office of Civil Nuclear Security, a temporary pass allowed him access to the reactor refuelling zone at the heart of the power station.
Interviews with senior members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network - blamed for the September 11 attacks - this week by Qatar-based al-Jazeera television revealed that nuclear power plants were considered a future target.
