Airport cops face fights and hoaxers

Aug 9 2009 by Tom Mullen, Sunday Sun

BOMB hoaxes and violent plane passengers are among more than 1000 recent incidents dealt with by police at a North airport.

Data obtained by the Sunday Sun reveals that police are being called more than twice every day to deal with suspected crime and disorder at Newcastle International Airport.

For security reasons, Northumbria Police are forbidden from discussing how many of the incidents could be related to potential terrorist activity, but the information refers to 155 unexplained “suspicious circumstances”.

Other call-outs over the last two years were for 19 firearms offences, 207 thefts, four suspicious packages, 29 fights and use of offensive weapons, 185 incidents of rowdy behaviour and one sexual offence.

Of the 1944 call-outs, some 152 arrests were made, with charges brought for the more serious offences, including 21 drug finds.

The airport said they could not comment on the statistics, released under the Freedom of Information Act. But a spokesman for Northumbria Police’s acting Chief Inspector Ray Smith reassured visitors to the airport.

He said: “Millions of people pass through Newcastle International Airport each year and only a handful of them come to the attention of police.

“Northumbria Police has a permanent presence at the airport, where our purpose is to ensure the safety and security of the public and staff.

“The majority of the incidents recorded are minor in nature and levels of crime remain very low.