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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2810543.stm
Airport bans toy gun comic
Hundreds of copies of the children's comic, "The Dandy", have been withdrawn from shops at Birmingham Airport because a toy gun is being given away free with the latest edition. The comic, which sells 250,000 copies a week and is published by D C Thompson & Co, has a bright blue and yellow plastic gun attached to its front cover.
But due to tighter security regulations at airports - replica guns are not allowed on planes.
Brian Conway, spokesman for Birmingham International Airport, said the strict regulations are there for passenger safety.
'Hysterical over-reaction'
He told BBC Radio WM: "The security regime says anything that looks like a gun - for example water pistols children bring through when going on holiday - have to be confiscated when passengers go through security.
"It doesn't make sense to have items on sale at the airport which are not allowed on board the aircraft other than in the hold with luggage."
Scottish-based D C Thompson said the decision was "a hysterical over-reaction".
A spokesman for the group told the Birmingham Post: "It's obviously a toy and nothing more.
"I don't think a terrorist would get very far if he tried to hijack a plane with a free toy from The Dandy."
He added: "I know they have to be strict about security at airports but this ruling is just ridiculous. It's a hysterical over-reaction."
Airport bans toy gun comic
Hundreds of copies of the children's comic, "The Dandy", have been withdrawn from shops at Birmingham Airport because a toy gun is being given away free with the latest edition. The comic, which sells 250,000 copies a week and is published by D C Thompson & Co, has a bright blue and yellow plastic gun attached to its front cover.
But due to tighter security regulations at airports - replica guns are not allowed on planes.
Brian Conway, spokesman for Birmingham International Airport, said the strict regulations are there for passenger safety.
'Hysterical over-reaction'
He told BBC Radio WM: "The security regime says anything that looks like a gun - for example water pistols children bring through when going on holiday - have to be confiscated when passengers go through security.
"It doesn't make sense to have items on sale at the airport which are not allowed on board the aircraft other than in the hold with luggage."
Scottish-based D C Thompson said the decision was "a hysterical over-reaction".
A spokesman for the group told the Birmingham Post: "It's obviously a toy and nothing more.
"I don't think a terrorist would get very far if he tried to hijack a plane with a free toy from The Dandy."
He added: "I know they have to be strict about security at airports but this ruling is just ridiculous. It's a hysterical over-reaction."
