Four-year-old boy frisked and forced to hand over toy gun that fired SPONGE darts after it was deemed a security risk by East Midlands Airport

‘A four-year-old boy was frisked by airport security and then forced to hand over his plastic nerf gun after it was deemed a security risk.

James Hayward had arrived at East Midlands Airport with his parents, Phil, 44, and Hazel, 38, with his brightly coloured toy – which fires sponge darts – packed in his hand luggage for their flight out to Lanzarote.

But security officers, who were described as ‘over-zealous’ by the boy’s father, then took exception to James’s harmless toy when it was picked up on the system’s X-ray machines. They demanded he hand it over, and they also performed a thorough patting down and inspection of the primary school child.’

Read more: Four-year-old boy frisked and forced to hand over toy gun that fired SPONGE darts after it was deemed a security risk by East Midlands Airport