- A British man flew from London to New York with out a boarding cross or passport.
- He bypassed safety checks at Heathrow Airport by tailgating unsuspecting passengers, experiences say.
- After being returned to the UK, he then went lacking from a hospital, one report stated.
A British man flew to New York from London with out a boarding cross or passport by tailgating unsuspecting passengers, in keeping with experiences.
Craig Sturt, 46, arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on Christmas Eve, one of many busiest journey days of the 12 months, the Evening Standard reported.
He skipped check-in and went straight to the boarding cross safety gates at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, strolling by the automated gates behind one other passenger, in keeping with The Sun.
The outlet reported that Sturt used the tailgating technique to get by a sequence of safety checkpoints and passport management while not having to point out any paperwork.
It stated that Sturt then boarded a bus from the British Airways departure lounge, having access to the flight with out a boarding cross.
Sturt was finally caught out after touching down at John F. Kennedy International Airport, it stated, when he couldn’t current any identification to US officers.
The Evening Standard reported that Sturt was returned to the UK and charged on suspicion of fraud and aviation safety offenses.
According to The Sun, the safety breach has led to the UK’s Home Office looking for solutions as to how such an incident occurred.
The Home Office declined a Business Insider request for remark, referring the request to London’s Metropolitan Police.
But a supply near the Home Office instructed the Evening Standard that “heads will roll.”
The unnamed supply stated: “It’s staggering this could happen. It doesn’t bear thinking about what might have happened if a terrorist had successfully boarded a flight undetected.”
They described it as a “major embarrassment” for Heathrow, the UK’s border officers, and British Airways.
In an announcement supplied to Business Insider, a BA spokesperson stated the airline is “assisting the authorities with their investigation.”
A Heathrow spokesperson stated: “All people who go airside are subject to security screening, including the individual involved in this case.”
The spokesperson added: “We are supporting the authorities with their ongoing investigation.”
Since the incident, Thames Valley Police has issued an alert for Sturt, who went lacking from a hospital the place he was being handled on psychological well being grounds, in keeping with The Sun.
Thames Valley Police referred BI to the Metropolitan Police, saying the power is working the missing-person investigation. The Metropolitan Police didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
In an interview with The Sun, Sturt’s brother, Lee Smith, stated his household was shocked by the incident, particularly since his brother would not personal a passport.
“It’s ridiculous this could happen,” he instructed the newspaper, including: “If Craig, with a troubled past, could dodge security, then presumably anyone else with sinister motives could do the same.”