Seized at the airport, 3-year-old’s plastic toy
IT DOES nothing more offensive than making loud raspberries, but airport staff confiscated a boy’s plastic blaster toy – for being a security risk.
They said that three-year-old Leo Fitzpatrick’s toy breached rules governing ‘replica weapons’ because it had a button that looked ‘slightly trigger-like’.
The youngster – who had received the £25 toy as a present from his grandfather only the day before – was then forced to hand it to officials at Dublin airport.
Leo was travelling home from Ireland with his family on Saturday when his Minion ‘Fart Blaster’ – which appear in the Despicable Me movies – showed up on airport X-ray scanners.
Security staff asked his mother Daire, 25, to remove the megaphone-like toy from his backpack. She was stunned when a guard – who admitted his own child had the same toy – then said he would have to confiscate it. The full-time mother said yesterday: ‘It’s just ridiculous. I said to the man it can’t be construed as a weapon and he said, “I know, but the but- ton looks slightly trigger-like”.’ She added: ‘I understand strict airport regulations but can common sense or compassion not be employed? It was laughable.’
Leo, now back at home in Nottingham, is said to be ‘devastated’. Dublin Airport said it apol- ogised for the inconvenience but insisted replica guns are prohibited and must be surrendered by passengers. A spokesman said the family could collect the toy on their return, adding: ‘We do not make up the security rules but we have to apply them.’