AIR HOSTESSES ‘HARASSED BY AIRPORT POLICE’

ARMED police officers have been accused of sexually harassing air hostesses and using lewd language at Luton Airport, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Firearms teams are under scrutiny after female cabin crews reported being accosted as they walked to and from their flights.

One officer from Hertfordshire Police is being probed over alleged misconduct.

The machine-gun carrying officers are supposed to make people at the airport – used by low-cost airlines including easyJet, Wizz Air and Ryanair – feel safe.

Instead, some of them are alleged to have given a vile, sexist nickname to an entrance used by cabin crew and to have harassed stewardesses.

A source said: ‘Senior team leaders are in despair at the culture in the armed unit – it’s the old boys’ mentality.

‘There’s a feeling that the allegations have been brushed under the carpet in order to avoid embarrassment.’

Assistant Chief Constable David Boyle – who oversees the joint services run by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire forces at the airport – said: ‘ The three forces take any allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously and have well established and robust procedures for investigating reports of this nature.

‘A misconduct investigation is currently underway. However, it would be inappropriate to comment any further.’

The development comes amid allegations of widespread misogyny in police forces.

Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that the Home Office is examining plans to introduce a new emergency number to help protect lone women.

The proposed service – suggested by BT and possibly using the number 888 – would allow people to have their journeys tracked with an alarm triggered if they failed to reach their intended destination in a certain time.