- The unnamed man managed to board Norwegian Air flight to Copenhagen
A Brit managed to sneak onto a plane at Gatwick without a passport or boarding pass – the second airport security fail in a week after a jobless man flew to New York from Heathrow by ‘tailgating’ another passenger.
The unnamed man managed to avoid checking in to the midday Norwegian Air flight to Copenhagen on February 5, it is reported.
He then took a seat on board the flight but was caught by suspicious crew members before the plane took off and he was escorted off the Boeing 737 by police.
All the passengers had to leave the plane for a security search before being allowed back on board.
This week it was revealed Craig Sturt, 46, was accused of ‘tailgating’ another traveller through security at passport checkpoints at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 before enjoying free food and drinks on the long-haul British Airways flight to New York.
Gatwick insisted the latest security breach had been ‘security screened and therefore posed no immediate security risk’.
A source told The Sun the man had ‘brazenly tailgated’ another passenger in order to sneak through on board the flight.
‘It’s the second time this has happened recently. There needs to be an immediate review of security,’ they said.
Sussex Police described the incident as a medical incident. Officers removed the man from the flight at around 12.15pm.
‘As per standard procedure, passengers were temporarily disembarked while a search was completed,’ a spokesman for the force said.
‘They were then allowed to re-board the aircraft which was then cleared for departure.’
It is reported no criminal charges have been brought due to the medical nature of the incident.
It comes six days after it was reported that Sturt was said to have been detained by armed US officials after they found he had no documentation and was sent back to the UK on a charter flight.
He was then hand-delivered to Met Police and arrested on Christmas Day before being taken to a hospital in Reading.
But Sturt, who was later charged with Fraud and Aviation Security Act offences, allegedly escaped the hospital and became the subject of a missing person’s appeal.
He failed to appear for a hearing on 22 January at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
Met Police have today confirmed that at around 8am this morning, Sturt was arrested in Richmond, south London, for failing to appear at court. He has been taken into custody at a London police station.
His brother Lee Smith, who claims Sturt has a ‘trouble past’, earlier told The Sun on Sunday that he was completely shocked when police called to tell inform him of the breach of security at Heathrow, which he has branded a ‘serious issue’.
It is also understood that James Cleverly is demanding answers in what sources close to the Home Secretary say is a ‘humiliating fiasco’ for both the airport and Border Force.
Mr Smith, 52, of Langley near Slough, told the newspaper it is ‘ridiculous’ that his brother successfully evaded Heathrow security and was able to fly overseas without a ticket or identification.
‘If Craig, with a troubled past, could dodge security then presumably anyone else with sinister motives could do the same. Heads should roll,’ the father-of-three said. ‘How has this been allowed to happen?’
He recalled how it felt ‘surreal’ and that he ‘couldn’t believe what I was hearing’ when police phoned him after Sturt had been apprehended on Christmas Eve.
‘I thought that can’t be right. He doesn’t even have a passport,’ he shared. ‘They said “Well he’s just been caught walking down the runway at JFK Airport in New York.”‘
Mr Smith, who is Sturt’s next of kin, said he has ‘no idea how [his brother] managed to pull it off’ but believes the situation demonstrates a ‘serious issue’ in British security.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
