Father told to turn T-shirt inside out at Gatwick Airport
21.03.10
A father on his way to a family skiing holiday was told by Gatwick Airport security officers to turn his T-shirt inside out because they feared a slogan on it could be construed as a threat. The airport has since apologised for the incident.
Lloyd Berks, 38, from Bexley, Kent, was stopped security officers as he queued at Gatwick with his partner and two children. He was told that the slogan - ‘freedom or die’ - could be considered 'a bit threatening'.
He said: ‘When I went through the metal detector, the guy who checked me told me to turn my T-shirt inside out. He said: 'Some airlines get a bit worried by T-shirts with what you have got on, it might be a bit threatening. I thought he was joking at first. It is turquoise and white, it is just a design T-shirt, it is not gothic or in your face and the slogan is quite small. I asked if I could cover it up with my cardigan and he said that would be OK.’
Mr Berks was travelling on February 27 to a skiing holiday in Austria from the airport with his partner Donna, 38, and children Callum, six, and Kaydee, four. He said he thought the staff's action had been overzealous. A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport apologised and said the incident was 'unnecessary'.
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