Man carrying bullets held at Heathrow

US airport security was criticised tonight after a passenger was arrested for carrying ammunition on a flight from Washington to London.

The 45-year-old Sudanese-born suspect was held at Heathrow airport as he went through a routine security check in transit to boarding a connecting flight to Dubai.

He had not been picked up by security at Washington’s Dulles airport, where he boarded Virgin flight VS022.

The man was missed there despite the route between London and Washington having been publicly identified as a potential target for terrorists in recent weeks.

Over the festive period there was repeated disruption to British Airways’ London to Washington BA223 service and it was cancelled three times amid terror fears.

As well as suggesting it has beefed up security at its own airports, US officials recently insisted that armed sky marshals travel on some US-bound planes, a request opposed by some airlines and the pilots’ union Balpa.

Today Balpa said the latest scare showed sky marshals were a side issue and security on the ground at airports was most important.

“As we keep saying, it’s security on the ground that matters,” a spokesman said.

“This is where we need to concentrate our investment, and not be diverted into cul-de-sacs like sky marshals.

“Obviously there will be a lot of questions asked in America as to how he got on the plane undetected.”

Chris Yates, an aviation security expert for publishers Jane’s, said US airport security was still far from tight and was lagging behind the UK.

He said: “There is an impression with all the rhetoric that the US now has the best security in the world and it can stop anything anytime – but it didn’t stop a bunch of ammunition getting on a plane from Washington to London, did it?

“My own gut feeling is that we are still in this country way ahead of the US in terms of security and I think a lot of what has been done in the US amounts to smoke and mirrors.

“The US has made a rush to judgment with its security, it hasn’t looked at best practice elsewhere and adopted that – it has decided on a model for itself based on what some in this industry believe is a flawed approach.

“I came through JFK airport on the way back to the UK last week and I passed through security in about 15 to 20 seconds with a suit carrier, a briefcase and laptop.

“If a piece of hand baggage is packed tight with electronic equipment then items such as bolt cutters could easily be disguised by other bits in there.

“The guy who is monitoring the machine has only five or six seconds to analyse each bag – if the image is confused his eye is automatically drawn to the larger object.”

Mr Yates said the ammunition at the centre of the latest security incident must have been brought on to the plane in Washington and crossed the Atlantic.

“I can’t see it having been picked up by this individual here in the UK because while he was in transit at Heathrow he was in a security zone and incoming and outgoing passengers aren’t mixed,” he said.

David Learmount, operations and security director at Flight International magazine, said: “You can make a lot of noise about security but in the end it depends on human vigilance.

“You only need vigilance to lapse for one piece of luggage and that bag gets through.

“After all the security rumpus from the Americans over the Christmas period, they have not declared any results in terms of people arrested or equipment found.”

The man suspected of carrying ammunition was held at about 7.40am in Terminal 3 on his way to board his flight to Dubai which was with an airline other than Virgin.

He was arrested under the terms of the Firearms Act and was taken to Heathrow police station for questioning.

He was not held under anti-terrorism legislation and police sources said he was not a known terror suspect.

“Alarm bells are not ringing in those terms,” a source said.

A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman refused to comment on security issues, whether the flight was being monitored or if air marshals were on board.

The Virgin spokeswoman added: “The safety and welfare of our passengers and crew is Virgin Atlantic’s top priority.

“The item seized did not pose a threat to our aircraft.

“Screening of passengers at Washington Dulles airport is the responsibility of the Transportation Security Administration.”