Have Your Say frank turner
Arriving at manchester airport earler this year on an internal flight from Heathrow I was amazed to walk out of the airprt without anyone checking my passport and no customs officers present.I HAD IN FACT FLEW FROM tURKEY AND HAD BEEN PASSED THROUGH TRANSIT AT HEATHROW ,WHERE MY HANDLUGGAGE WAS SEARCHED BUT AGAIN NO PASSPORT OR CUSTOMS CHECK MADE. Ayrton Evans
i was travilling from mildura airport in australia to adelaide international airport and, when we were airborne i said to my mum its ok were going to be safe so it goes to show how realy safe we are in a plane. ayrton evans mildura primary school australia age 10 Dawn
I have just flown back from Palma Airport and to my disbelief on going through the X-ray hand luggage area I happened to look back at my husband and the so called security person wasn't even looking at the screen she was chatting to a work collegue on another screen. Thank God I wasn't the lucky (if anyone can say that) terrorist that slipped through. I have a young daughter and I spent the entire flight back to the UK thinking how many times that happens a day. It only takes one incident to ruin so many lives. It's about time that people take their jobs seriously, after all we all trust the airlines etc with our lives. jono
why do people go looking for faults and then post them on the internet. you are helping terrorists. your making their lives esier by listing the faults LAKITA THOMAS
i THINK THIS ARTICLE IS VERY RIGHT BECAUSE THEY SHOULD NOT LET ANYONE GET ON THE PLANE WITHOUT GETTING CHECKED FOR ANY WEAPONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT NOW i DO NOT THINK AIRPORT IS SAFE SO THIS IS MY OPIOIN AND WHAT i THINK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE amar hussian
my concern is that the sucrity is very rubbish in manchester Aierport there should provide more employer and make the security tighter and better Matthew, Aviation Entheusiast, South Wales
I have recently visited Manchester Airport Aviation Viewing Park (05/05/05) and the security was visable with police/security cars going up and down in front of the park itself. There is a high spiked security fence around the park.It would be extremmly difficult for a menber of public to gain access to the taxi ways,runways and other off limet areas before someone spotting them. I feel very safe both when i am flying from Manchester Airport and when also visiting the airport. Matthew S.Wales
I feel safe in Manchester Airport as when i went on holiday the security was very tight. Sarah
Hi, I used to live in England, but now I am in New Zealand and I would just like to say that airport security is done much better here. It's true we have less passengers but still the security workers were so lazy. Yes I believe the documentary was a bit sensationalist, but it still shows serious problems that need to be looked at. Security is not a laughing matter. Higher pay is the was to go. Matthew W
Such tv programmes only serve to scare the general public. At the end of the day, the BBC went actively looking to find flaws, and when you go looking for it, you find it, however small they are. Lets not forget the lovely Ms Cox was there for 10 weeks... I feel safe travelling, especially at Manchester Airport, in comparison to the larger alternatives such as Gatwick and Heathrow. suly
you cant feel safe at manchester airport.. it just goes to sghow that nobody actually cares about 9/11 and just want to get on with life as normal Charliebob ..........
Firstly, why do the BBC reserve the right to edit comments. Apart from swearing, and personal abuse, what are they worried about. More importantly, a note about these "whistle blower" documentries. Whereas I agree that airport security is almost futile against professional organisations, and there are many short-commings, I do think that many of the reported facts get miss-represented to produce good TV. I did not see all of Ms Cox's documentry, But I did see the one produced on drunken BA Pilots. I am a professional pilot, and believe me half of what was in that documentry was complete rubbish, if not impossible (pilots with a hangover not able to respond to a fire warning ... if someone put a pot over your head, then banged it with a wooden stick, I think you'd notice ... especially with a hangover !!!). Weak points have to be highlighted, especially as management(world-wide)continuously choose to ignore what their work-forces tell them. But miss-representing facts so easily disproved only serves to undermine your own arguement and credibility. Jane Morgin
It's a shameful thing that i guess will hardly ever change unless a 9/11 attack happens over here which of course we hope dosn't ever happen. I have work in most UK Airports, and security is not what it should be, Glenn
This documentary screened last night in New Zealand. Its very interesting reading the feedback thats been put on here and the main thing that stands out is that regardless of whether BBC edited the program, the bulk of the comments in support of the program are from ex or current security staff. Now I am sure if anyone was to know what the security deficiences are at this airport, they are the best ones to listen to, not armchair critics who sit at home and moan and complain about most things the media do. The BBC had to squeeze 8 weeks worth of footage into a one hour show so obviously there will be blatant editing. Also the comments about how the BBC have now told the terrosrists about Manchesters vulnerabilities, come on please, they would have known this well before the documentary ever screened, its could intelligence gathering, something they're quite good at. Well done Michelle, I thought the show was excellent and highlighted deficiencies that the general public need to be aware of. As for Manchester management cutting staff and wages and then giving themselves a bonus, well thats just about beyond comment, I hope they sleep well at night. If I have one criticism of the show, it was the dramatic portrayal of Scholes and his concerns. Fearing for his life....please, getting fired or reprimanded I suspect is what would of occured. As far as I'm aware, UK airport's don't have "hit squads" killing their workers for leaking info. Keep up the good work BBC and my condolences to the security staff. Amy
I recently flew to New York JFK and back and found that security checks at Heathrow airport were near exceptional. Yes it's not pleasant to bepoked and prodded and have to take your shoes off under the glare of a security officer but it's worth it. However when it came to flying back from JFK i found that bag checks were random and security checks were very blase. It seems as though it's important to check what's going IN to America, but they aren't really bothered about what they're sending OUT. Typical selfish American ethics. John Haywood
No security system is perfect and it is quite apparent that doing it properly at Manchester Airport is not only a logistical nightmare with insufficient staff but with a lack of investement in training and appropriate renumeration, there will continue to be problems. We actually wrote to Manchester Airport a year ago regarding concerns over their vetting procedure for security personnel - nothing has changed. In my opinion, the majority of security personnel make the best of what they have to work with, without back-up from Management, it will continue to be second rate. John Haywood Guild of Security UK Ltd Daniel, aviation entheusiast, Manchester
I go plane spotting alot at Mancehster Airport. When Miss Cox is standing in that field claming that "you can be face to face with the pilots" and the camera angle makes it seem like you can touch the aircraft, She is lying. I go to that spot in Manchester regulally and you are quite far away from the aircraft and an airport security car passes ever 3-5 minutes. If someone wanted to make an attack with a missile, they could just go to Ringway road or around there where the aircraft are landing and taking off. That documentary nearly ruined it for the spotters like me. Without us, the police have lost hundreds of people who are always looking out for suspicios behavoiur. Im only 13 but still, when im at the airport, im looking out for people acting strangely. When i flew to Rimini with MyTravel in the summer the security was very good. There were 2 people watching the x-ray machine and our bags had a security checked sticker on. I think that the BBC shouldnt have aired this programe as it is like says " Hi terrorists, we are working for you now, take this footage and make an attack!!" BBC, Get real! Unhappy Flyer
I fly alot as an unapompanied minor and airport secirity made me miss my fight out. and when we got there the people were like sorry you missed it there is another one in 5 minutes. another time i was doing a layover back to my home and all they served on he plane was nuts! and i hate nuts. So when I got to the seattle layover then since they had to escort me they were like "no you csan't get any food you have to go to next flight" So I staqrved the whole way back because I thought they ere going to let me get something to eat. Dean Martin ( student )
I was going on holiday with my family but when we got to the security there was hardly anybody there and also there was nobody monitering the screen on the x-ray machine. I could have smuggled anything onto an aircraft !!! Charlie
Well done to Michelle Cox. What a fantastic and also disturbing documentary into airport security. Airports like Manchester are Vaunerable and by watching the film, security workers at the Airport were clearly underpaid and overworked. An airport running with less staff than needed really needs to get it's act together and after 9/11 they should know better. Concerned security worker
An analytical overview.'Greed' what they can get away with 'Legally'in so much as it is legal to cut wages of dedicated staff.But at the same time award massive pay rises to those that can get away with it.GREAT BRITAIN. It happens daily.Just look around.As for security at MAN.Well a programme on National TV need I say more airport emplyee
well done some the comments made in the programme was very good but others are wrong like ataff walking around the archway in certain areas thats ok because u are already airside and been security cleared well edited because passengers don't know thats ok but us staff do i think the big bosses should give comments but the public at rest Karen Hawksworth
What a frightening episode of whistleblower you would have thought airports would have learnt by now about sercuity after 911 in the U.S.A but no not us we are still waiting for that type of disaster come on the UK get your fingers out before we have a 999. Well done to Michelle cox for bringing it to all our attention.Now we can take any weapon on board a plane and won't be stopped. Peter
Out of a full hours programme there was probably only 10 minutes worth watching. Firstly the pictures shown at the end of the runway where people were watching the aircraft was filmed in such a position that it looked like you could virtually walk onto the runway which is TOTALLY UNTRUE.It was filmed in such a way that the perimeter fence could not be seen. Also the comment about the fence not being electrified is remarkable.What airport is this Manchester or Pyongyang in North Korea!! Lastly why was a Britannia Airways aircraft shown from outside parked overnight with no lights on and then suddenly the reporter is on it and the lights were suddenly on?Did she just flick the switch and they came on?!! Anybody with the most basic knowledge of aircraft knows this cannot be done. I don't know how the BBC got away with such edited rubbish!! Airport Employee who needs to remain anonymous
Shame on you, BBC, for such a shallow expose of security issues at Manchester Airport; even more shame on MAPlc bosses who refused your invitation to appear on Newsnight to respond to criticisms . Michelle Cox should give up her day job as an "investigative reporter" because what she "discovered" was how easily the media can manipulate public opinion by telling alf-truths and sensationalising items by use of (not very) clever editing. As MAPlc have failed to respond adequately, let me take issue with some of the items mentioned by Ms.Cox. 1)The scene where two members of staff (including a cleaner) were seen to by-pass an AMD. What wasn't made clear was that the AMD in question is in the TRANSFER area and as it is AIRSIDE, those staff were not required to pass through that particular AMD as they were ALREADY AIRSIDE and had undergone security checks prior to arriving at that point, as you well know. 2)The insecure aircraft. That aircraft was obviously being prepared for cleaning. How do I know? Four o'clock in the morning and the lights were on! ALL aircraft left overnight are left with their interior lights off unless being or waiting to be cleaned. You made a hasty exit from there. Was that because the cleaning crew were coming on board perchance? And why would anyone challenge you in that position? You were, for all intents and purposes, an aviation security officer carrying out normal duties of checking insecure aircraft! Very poor example, Ms.Cox, but very dramatic. RADA would be proud of you. 3)You filmed the interview with the security manager when you went to make a formal complaint, yet the best you could complain about was the fact that "they said they'd searched 8 bags when they only searched 7!" A valid point about cooking the books, but these are RANDOM searches we're talking about. Why didn't you make clear the fact that ALL bags are screened but a number are subject to ADDITIONAL RANDOM search? Ah, that wouldn't make good (sensationalist) TV, would it? 4) Disgraceful that you saw fit to blatantly lie about "eye to eye contact" with pilots. The scene showing persons apparently within touching distance of aircraft taking off was disgracefully contrived, giving the impression they were next to the runway on the airport side of the security fence. Very cleverly done with the use of camera angle,but lies all the same. Oh, and the fact that a SAM could have been fired from there? They can be fired from anywhere and there is nothing anyone can do to prevent that. 5)"Scholes" should be applauded for highlighting how security staff have been appallingly treated by management and for reaffirming the fact that MAPlc think of profit before security, but to suggest that his life is now in danger is quite pathetic. At worst he faces dismissal or possible prosecution for facilitating you airside whilst off duty. But "life in danger?" Get real. 6)Why was the checking of the AMD's so heavily edited? It showed staff doing the correct thing by closing a faulty one down, but your filming did not show what happened to those passengers who passed through the second machine whilst it was being tested. Could it be that they were searched, but this was not caught on film because it would not make good television? 7) I admit to being annoyed that staff were given a description of the DfT inspectors, but human nature dictates that when you are given a tip off that something is wrong, as a supervisor you do your best to relay as nuch information as possible to your staff. More fool the DfT for trusting senior management with the information that they were going to carry out dummy runs! I cannot speak for MAPlc, but as an airport worker I really could not let your ridiculous allegations pass without comment. Do you have any idea of the number of empty headed passengers who have made ridiculous comments when passing through the airport since watching this sham of an expose? Morale is already low. Thanks for your contribution. 99% of this "expose" should have ended up on the cutting room floor. A pity it didn't. Please note: All perso Maggie
Security staff have front line important and responsible roles and should be paid accordingly. Not only should they be looking after our airports, service providers and the travelling public, they are part of our national security. One lapse at any border affects us all. Take it seriously! Kev (Manchester)
Somehow I don't think the Beeb would show a programme where security was 100% perfect. Sure mistakes do happen and I am sure that the airports will do their best to correct them ASAP. I think it was right to expose any loops in the security system but I would like to know how true the facts are. Can't speak for the terminal security airside, but the issue of the fences around the perimeter was a bit misleading. A fair amount of the new runway has raised mounds along it so that you are overlooking the fence lines. I think a lot of journalists these days only go for the sensationalism stories that don't show the true facts behind the stories involved, otherwise programmes wouldnot be watched and papers wouldnot be sold. We ourselves are to blame as well for allowing ourselves to believe all that we see and hear and expect it to be right. How about a follow up programme showing how they could not get weapons on to a plane and the real reason the fence is so low looking! Come on Mr Dyke, a chance to raise the profile of the BBC. Andy Colins
The program did a good job of showing the bad security procedures inside the airport, however I was disgusted at how camera tricks were used to make it look as though the aviation enthusiasts were only about five feet away from the aircraft and that there was no fence. This was very misleading. It was clear that considerable effort had been made in making this shot look how it did which gives the impression that there was nothing else to film, so the BBC decided to make something up using the camera position and special lenses. Sally Smith
I am currently studying a Media Studies course at A/S level and through watching this documentary i have found that in many of the scenes filmed in it may be slightly biased. For example, when shown the metal detectors, and how one had broken down and was only detecting things when brushed against it, although it was a minor error that would be fixed, i felt it was a bit exaggerated. I feel that although you are trying to point out the problems that are occuring , they may be minor in comparison to a lot more things that are happening in other airports around the world. namely Tunisia and Turkey , of which i have visited in the past and was shocked to find that they had let my mother through with nail clippers and tweezers, of which are banned in this country.I suggest that you should stop putting the blame on airports in this country and sort out the incoming problems from other countries.i do hope that you consider this. Mark Partington
Look, why should such matters be brought to the publics attention? Rememeber, some members of the public researce for this type of info. Why give it to them for free and with no effort. Its just asking for more trouble. Please, if you have any common sense, deal with problems this serious with more thought. Do you want something like 9/11 to happen to this country? Dr Ken Catchpole
Though I didn't see the programme, I used to work with x-ray screeners at airports across the UK (including Mancherster airpot) on behalf of the Department for Transport. Having examined security practices across Europe and the US, my informed opinion is that the UK has the best security in the world, bar none. The fact that we can get better is something that the UK regulators have always known, and continue to work toward. However, it is something that was forgotten in the US before 9/11, and they have been seriously behind ever since. Cabin Crew@Mcr Airport
On a number of occassions i have been waved through all security check points in the airport and only on a small number of occasions has my ID badges been checked. Recently 2 crew on my flight did not have any ID and they were told, "Dont forget it again" also on the security X Ray machines security are often letting us straight through because of the vast amount of people queing up at peak times. As for being serched, only once have i been "frisked" and had a proper search of my person and uniform. Security is very lax in light of the high risk of terror attacks Frequent flyer, Disley nr Manchester
Are we willing to pay the price for airport security? There are two "costs": firstly paying enough money for an effective staff and system, and secondly, HORRENDOUS delays in boarding a flight meaning long check-in times. The airports want us through as quickly as possible to spend cash in so-called duty-free, and we don't want to stand in queues for 30 minutes. The truth is that the DfT and airports don't want to make flying any more onerous otherwise they would radically change the system and security ethos. Also, the sheer scale of people management involved is frightening: can an airport employ enough staff to check two 747's passengers then have them stand idle for an hour? Rez Manzoori
Whilst I was just as shocked at the security lapses inside Manchester airport, I was even more shocked at the BBCs sensationalist and over the top account of what they claim is poor security at the perimeter fence. The low angle and zoom in of the shot were clearly designed to make it look like people are so close to the moving aircraft as to be able to reach out and touch them. In reality people cannot get closer than several hundred metres, and that's after having to scale a 20ft fence. To cap it all the 'Whistleblower' then goes on to suggest the area would make a good place to launch a SAM missile from! What an incredibly stupid thing to say! If this area is so open to SAM fire then so too must the approaches where the aircraft fly in slow and low! Why don't we set up a huge 10mile exclusion zone around the airport... that would surely solve the problem eh? The reality of the situation is that no airport perimeter can ever be made 100% safe. Manchester airports authorities along with the local police are to be applauded for their efforts to engage with the local enthusiast community and thus to make Manchester one of the most enthusiast friendly airports, one where the eyes of the authorities are enhanced hundreds of times over by those of the enthusiasts and their camera lenses. Come on BBC... let's see some of that famous journalistic integrity and try to get the facts right! A M
That was the most disgusting display of typical lazy management and personnel not wanting to do the job...i was in the army for 18 years and the checks that the RAF do were better than those idol people on duty in the security...the reporter should have never got in there and the equipment needs up dating and a higher standard needs to be set across the country...my eyes have been opened and i must say that i was disgusted with the way these people had total disregard for passenders and there safety...this has made me think that our own 9/11 is due soon...maybe the airports should boost security as that date is getting close again...maybe the DOT need to just go through the airport more often to catch them out...it would make me and a lot of others happier knowing that they were always on the ball...another alternative give the security to fully trained security officers...not 2 week wonders. Bob Nicholson
I travelled to Canada on August 30th and experienced the most intensive hand luggage search at Manchester Airport.I travel a great deal and do not believe this aiport is as bad as is made out. Ex Man Airport Aviation Security Officer
This has been a report that has been waiting to be written for a long time. The rot had already set in when I was a Flexible rosta officer over six years ago, even then security staff were disillusioned because of the managements complete disregard for their competant working in favour of profit. The security workforce were unsupported and were further divided by management when they introduced a three tier wage system with some officers earning only a third of the pay of people they were working alongside. I often saw individual security supervisers remonstrating with their superiors over the manning numbers on search areas,whilst others were too busy protecting themselves to be concerned that the job was being done to the dti requirements. I can recall one incident where i was sent with another officer to process three hundred transfer bags, the correct procedure was to put all bags through the x ray machine, the (senior)officer I was with just threw the bags onto the adjacent empty truck Tony
Why try and make a point that a missile could be fired at the site next to the runway when it could equally be fired from anywhere within a few mile radius of the airport. The comment "you are face to face with the pilot" is a total eggageration for this location as i have been there many times. Also why wasn't it stated that there is co-operation between the Airport police and local people who are the "eyes and ears" of the airport and are trying to be encouraged to report suspicious behaviour! It seems to me that Miss Cox was acting in a "look at me,aren't i fantastic" manner instead of reporting true facts. Jo Rennie
Frankly it was like watching a spoof "office" type documentary. All done for dramatic effect with no substance other than one sided, heavily edited material. The fact the Scholes spoke like he would be hunted down by the Mafia and shot if discovered .. and would probably need witness protection was ridiculous. I have no doubt that there are issues to be dealt with at the aiport (and probably a lot of others) but this kind of tabloid, biased, edited journalism has no place on a channel with the (quickly sliding) reputation of the BBC. It's of the same ilk as tabloid journalism .. to cause panic among the general public who aren't open to the workings of the media world. The BBC should be ashamed. Duncan Corps
This documentary has not increased the threat from 'terrorists' etc.. If they really exist then they have already probed the security measures and found the flaws. Also, Manchester Airport was given time to address the flaws before the programme was broadcast. And to those who claim that it was creatively edited to highlight only the problems: There should be no problems to highlight! It's perfectly reasonable to focus on the security flaws at Manchester airport since the scandal is that any exist at all. I was shocked to see that not only is security barely implemented, but records are forged and tests are cheated at to give the official impression that it's as tight as it should be. Too many people in this country focus on giving the appearance of doing their job properly, rather than actually doing their job properly. Can you trust anyone to keep you safe? ex security officerJohn
John donnison david teale geoff muirhead,should hang their heads in shame today for what they have done to the security section they should be marched of the airport for good without a penny .like so many good people where in 2002. Coleen Macy
I thougt that the program was really intersting as it made me realise how week security is. I am sure it IS NOT just at Manchester. airport Mark Dagger
Well done, BBC for an interesting insight into the REAL life of what exactly happens behind the scenes at one of the UK's busiest airports. When we travel long distances by air, we all like to feel that we are being looked after by the highest standard of security that this country has to offer. There are no excuses for what I witnessed last night. This is 2004, not 1904. The question is, how many other Airports in the country suffer from the same problems? I would like to bet that its just not Manchester. Lets see the BBC do similar things with Gatwick and Heathrow. If the directors that control Manchester Airport are risking lives by employing shoddy security, they should be made accountable. Dave Bell
Profit before secutiry, welcome to Britain in the 21st century. Perhaps if out government realised that the UK has more than 1 airport then security outside of Heathrow would be tightened up. Don't "they" realise that an aircraft can be hi-jacked at say Newcastle and in less than 1 hour can be crashing into "their" beloved London. This isn't an anti-London or anti-Labour rant, security is more important than petty regional or political rivalries. Mike
So where has all the extra money gone promised by the Government and the extra monies taken from passengers as surcharges for security? The only thing the BAA and the Airlines worry about is profits. Is it a case of its going to happen, we expect it to happen so save the money as we can't do anything about it? A bit of honest might be appropriate but that don't win elections ask Mr Bush sorry Mr Blair. Mat
In simple term:- 1.Heads need to roll….this is a serious situation and needs to be shown as such. 2.The root causes of how we got to this position needs to be identified in detail, but it is safe to say that Manchester Airport is not motivated to take security seriously (and this reflected in the management, remuneration, treatment of workforce, etc) 3.Ideally the government should take responsibility for resolving this situation. It just goes to show the Dept for Transport has itself some major issues (after all they are not anti-terrorism experts). 4.Fundamentally the need for security needs to be driven by the need to make the airport secure. Reducing costs, queues or any other side effect of good security are not effective measures to use. 5.It must be said that the ‘shop floor’ workers are not the problem….it is the management and obviously ALL of the security management. This situation is an absolute disgrace to those of 9-11. We also need to know from Manchester Airport what they have done to fix the situation. There are now a vast number of people very worried about using this airport. I myself will now look to use Liverpool instead. Mike Ockismall
Hey terrorists look... here's a good place to stage an attack! The media does the work for the enemy. There are more suble ways of dealing with such information if you really want to contribute to our nations security.... maybe that's not your aim though... airport worker
well done bbc, airport security is a shambles,brought on by wage cuts and long working hours,many good guards left the airport after the strike in 2002 as they knew that the cut backs would cause lapses in the security section. Phil
I am still waiting for the major lapse in security to be shown. That had to be one of the worst documentries i have seen and i feel that the BBC has to answer alot of questions regarding editing, which was very cleverly done to show Manchester Airport at it its worst. Not once have i travelled out of Manchester and seen an unmanned security check point. All the reporter managed to show, was herself getting the job and people making up figures. It happens everywhere in life. All suitcases are scanned, all hand luggage is scanned. These security personel are trained on what to look out for so dont need to stop every bag. well done to the BBC for showing terrorists where you can shoot down planes. I hope this insider 'scholes' is looking for a new job today. Lets see another report from Heathrow and see how bad it is there. Mike
Very worrying. My wife is terrified of going through Manchester when we go on holiday in Oct. Can anybody reassure us that the airport security will be immediately formally inspected by the relevant Govt department? Martina and Claire
Well done BBC. Tony Blair should root out Scholes and make him head of security, he deserves a medal for taking such a risk!! Muppet
Well done BBC. I work there and recently had my pay slashed by 40%. Later that year all the directors awarded themselves a £50k bonus, how fair is that. We are told daily by team leaders to get the queues down, one team leader told me not to do randoms to getthem thru, perhaps there n a bonus from the retail units. More lke the trafford centre than an airport. All staff are fed up there, there was a survey recently and 96% of people were disolusioned and wanting to leave. It could be a good job if the pay was more than market related, ie I could earn the same guarding beans in Tesco. Perhaps security should be government ran away from airport budgets with proper pay and conditions. Dave Rafferty
As a frequent traveller to Belfast from Manchester I certainly think security could be improved.At 6am there is a rush of staff passing thru the terminal 1 fastlane who get priority over normal passengers and very cursory security checks.I have considered getting a uniform myself to speed up the check in process ! Also travellers to N.Ireland have their photgraph taken but sometimes the machine isnt working or the staff dont bother. John Ballantine
Your programme highlighted the security sham at manchester. Do the shortcomings in security have any legal implications for the authorities there? "they are dealing with peoples lives". The security staff there were fraudulent in their filling in of security records which surely must be considered as gross misconduct and therefore result in instant dismissal! Deb H
I can see that there are very worrying security issues at UK airports, but who needs staff infiltration to pinpoint these lapses when the media broadcast the details for all interested parties to lap up? In the aftermath of a terrorist attack the attitude would be "we told you so" but would it bother these people that perhaps they had provided some of the information that made it possible? I doubt it. After all..it would be yet another sensational long-running story for them to report on. Louise
I watched the programme last night and i have to say i was so shocked. i never realised security was so bad, and i worry about other airports having the same attitude as manchester. It makes people afraid to go on holiday to know that they could easily be onboard a plane with terrorists. I dont agree with the comments which say this documentary is not valid. it may have been edited to show the negatives but that is the point. the fact is, we have seen footage showing how the employees do not carry out their job properly and they do not seem to care. What i want to know is what is preventing them from checking as many bags as they should. is it just laziness? I think all airports should get their act together to tighten security, employ enough staff to ensure security checks are thoroughly made and sack those who do not care. The jobs of these people is more important than they realise. What shocked me most was the fact that michelle cox managed to get onboard an aeroplane on the airfield without anyone even noticing. This is truly disgraceful. England should take the same action as america and have much tougher security before something awful happens. Id like to compliment the BBC on this programme and thank you for bringing it to the nations attention. Im sure manchester airport will see a decline in passengers until they sort it out. Mcr airpork worker
I've work for Mcr airport plc for many years and I've just watched the programme The Whistleblowers and its true story of how the airport is run by directors and muppet mangers, half of them couldn't run a P!!! UP in a brewery. Penny pinching all the time in all department of the airport. Machinery not working, always breaking down, buses,cars and vans that to old and shouldn't be on the road, death traps to the works who drive them, steps to plane are falling apart bagage belts always breaking down. Policy is mend and do. they do not like spending money on the equipment. All the directors think about is save money , but they'll give therselves fat pay and bonues. Are conditions all not of the 21st century, but gone back to victorian times with low pay and long hours If you pay low wages you only get muppets and most of the airport workers are 6 month contracts and out the door at the end of 6 months, so they don't care. Shivy Ratna
I've just seen the Whistleblower episode on airport security and it's one of the worst documentaries I have ever seen. The footage was clearly edited so that the only snippets we saw would frighten us rather than tell us an unbiased story. Sequences were often cut at key areas and it became obvious that the reporter was trying to create confusion. I suspect that the truth is not as portrayed here. It was certainly not up to the usual standard of BBC reportage. It's disappointing that this made it through the editorial process. It was more the type of thing that Channel Five would screen. Carla Carroll
I'm amazed that at Manchester Airport that whne you arrive at the Arrivals or Departures entrances that you can just walk straight in with no checks being carried out on anyones baggage(hand luggage and/or travel/suit cases). On a recent visit to Dublin, checks were carried out before I could enter the airport terminals. why isn't this done at Manchester. Andrea Mary Lord
I travel in and out of Manchester Airport about 20 times a year and have never noticed any security lapses or inefficiency by security staff. There's no harm in trying to improve things, but absolute perfection is unattainable. Perhaps with increased funding and extra staff, improvements could probably be made and some problems solved. Trevor Haughton
A Lot Of Changes Were Made In 2002 In Security At Manchester Wages Were Slashed And A Lot OF Very Good Staff Left After Pay Cuts Of Up To 10,000 Pounds You Pay Peanuts You Get Monkeys Hence What We Watched Last Night .Somebodys Head Should Role For That. D.BUCKLEY
Why point out the fact that you can shoot a plane down from the end of the runway when its just as easy to go to the carpark or even pull over on the motorway just under the flightpath and fire away. Its nice to know that if there's anybody that want to commit to an act of terrorism they have a friendly insider willing to help them with security info. The bloke who was helping should be sent to prison . Steps still on an aircraft.. well how do you think the cleaners get on and off while the plane is in overnight. Ok the program did show the airport in a bad light but then again the program was edited to show Manchester Airport at it's worse. David Bradley
Security should not be in the hands of the airport at all. It should be under an independent "Border Guard" of the Ministry of Defence who do not answer to airport bosses. Similarly the perimeter should not be in the hands of sleepy unarmed local bobbies who put in an appearance now and again. The TV documentary had one quote from the US expert which sums up the way I feel.... "a disaster will happen and then nobody will be responsible". Incidentally security of ferries is also non existent. I catch the P&O ferry to Hull and vehicles / persons are never searched. Terrorists could easily hijack a P&O ferry, it would be a piece of cake. Security of airports, ports and railway stations must be separated from the respective businesses and put under an independent body responsible for security not profit. The documentary was right - it will take a disaster to change anything. Alan
I think the security situation will never improve. The airlines are only paying lipservice to the passengers Simon
Thank god the BBC are brave enough to show the breaches in Security. A J Browne seems to suggest that the BBC are giving away secrets in airport security lapses at Manchester, was there a documentary about the airports involved before the Sept 11th tradegy, no, so it does not take a genius to realise that if a journalist can do it, any hell bent terrorist could, with or without journalism. Let's hope that the BIG bonuses that the Senior managers got are droped and that the money goes into protecting our lives when travelling... Perhaps investing in more security guards and paying them a decent wage. My view, the senior Managers should do the decent thing and resign..... Of course they wont... Well done BEEB airport employee
Well done to "scholes" and michelle cox for revealing the security flaws at manchester airport. I wonder if the executives will take note and perhaps trim their own hefty pay packets to fund extra security at the airport? C. Campbell
I am very concerned after viewing this program at the apparent blase way clear security breaches are pawned off just to ensure figures 'tie up'. We fly into and out of Manchester airport in October for a mid term break and it alarms me greatly that this type of negligent practice goes on at a major airport. It always appears to be the same story ... companies putting profits before the welfare of the people who make them for them in the first place.... and all they're prepared to give is a lip service for it. Would very much like to see what kind of reaction those people shown on the program, whose lacklustre and even derisory efforts as security personnnel, would have if they became involved in a mid flight security scare. Shocking stuff... brush up your act Manchester...and all those other ones who feel they got let off the hook by not being highlighted in the program DB
I realised that I had a "leatherman" multitool (which has a large steel blade) in my handluggage. As I'd already checked in at Stansted, it was too late to put it in my main case and I knew from past experience if you declare it at the security they send it seperately and such expensive things often never arrive. So I put it in my electric shaver bag hoping it would look like part of the charging kit. I had pushed in a bit at security, so one of their people kept their eye on me while I was going through. The idiot should have been paying more attention to the x-ray screen. My knife passed through un-noticed... But I imagine it would be relatively easy to smuggle flamable liquids aboard in a variety of ways. And let's face it, all the people who work in the massive airside shopping complexes are just regular shop floor employees. How stringent are the security checks at/on the behalf of Pret a Manger, Boots or Dixons? And even if this is handled by a seperate security vetting agency, the main aim of the airports, of companies like BAA etc, is to maximise revenue streams from passengers, not have long queues at duty free shops because they couldn't get the staff. Many airports are now more akin to massive shopping malls with transport hubs attached almost as an afterthought. This being the case, it's no suprise that security slips off the radar on a day by day basis when compared with keeping the profitable side of the operation running smoothly. Martin
Can we really trust the BBC to provide, independant,non-biased correspondance anymore. I have been a regular viewer of BBC news 24 for some time and more and more I see sensational and selective editing. There is no wonder there is so much tension between minority groups. The program was missing comments from the airport management, they should have the right to reply. There's no doubt that more could be done, I find it strange that if airport security is so very important why is it being handled by bone idle and untrustworthy private security staff with very little training. Security should be handled by police or armed forces trained personnell with high levels of discipline and accountability. Kieran
what You have uncovered is what anyone in the aviation industry faces on a daily basis. Inadequate manning levels, long hours, falsified records(& that is what is is!)You either have secutrity or You dont. There is no in between! Ex Security officer at Manchester Airport
At last, someone has exposed the joke that is security at Manchester Airport. I worked as an aviation security officer at Manchester airport several years ago and I can confirm that the same "cheating" practices occured on a daily basis during my employment. I was very close at times to writing various anonymous letters to senior management and Department of Transport officials but I thought that any such letter would be a waste of time and get "lost". I can recall many more instances which were much more serious than the ones broadcast tonight. In my opinion, security managers are to blame. Too many cutbacks to both wages and staff which has left staff morale at an all time low. Management are too concerned about profits and not the safety of the public. I think that any effort to get security back on track at Manchester will be very short lived. Staff, team leaders etc will be cheating figures and neglecting duties again once the dust has settled. Sam
I have a false leg and nuts and bolts in my thigh. I travel from Manchester twice a year and I have NEVER set the detector off yet in all other countries I have. My destinations are all over the world East and West and it it horrific to think that this is actually happening in one of the most busiest airports in England. Kelly Hiller
I would just like to commend the BBC's reporter and the 'whistleblower' for speaking out and risking being discovered.Watching the programme,I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I think the management of the airport should be thanking the BBC for bringing this to their attention. Nicola Rees
I worked at Cardiff Airport where the exact same things are happening. They are under staffed and cant get staff to work the long hours for just over £5 per hour. Woman security agents are scarce and often do a full 12 hour shift on constant body search with sometimes 2 20 minute breaks per shift. When problems are brought to managements attention you are ignored and made out to be a trouble maker. Concerned security worker
Great programme,yes we are the evil necessity,if they could save any more money they would. To give themselves fat cat pay awards Paul
Unfortunately the only way people will really take such a threat seriously is when 9/11 happens in the UK. Well done to the BBC for exposing such lapse security!!! The worrying thing is that if it's happening at Manchester airport, how many other airports suffer the same lapses. Kris Warnier
I used to be an airport security manager bases at British Airways at Heathrow. Many things I have seen in this documentary are only the tip of the iceberg. You would think that after 9/11 things would be better but they are not and i have written to the Dft and complained that these things where happening but as soon as I told the DfT inspectors, they told my bosses as they all work closely togheter and then they teminated my contract. If people knew what I know...nobody would fly again. Very nice to see that this program was made as I now know that some people do care about our security. Jab GUNAWAN
Quite amasing to see how people can be so lazy, we're not talking about cooking here, but security. And their denial is very irresponsible. Makes you wonder why are we paying all those airports taxes for then?! Dave Slack
I flew into Manchester on 28th August with my family following a holiday in Alicanti. We arrived at the imigration/passport check area at the same time as the passengers of a Pakistan Airways jumbo jet. It took 15 minutes or so to reach one of the two desks in operation and as we passed through a supervisor was telling his staff to 'just let them all through'. Looking back, there were hundreds of passengers who followed us through with absolutely no checks carried out. On arriving home I discovered that one of my cases had been opened and cigarettes removed. This means that someone must have had unmonitored access to my luggage and could have just as easily put something into a case. Shivy Ratnam
I've just seen the Whistleblower episode on airport security and it's one of the worst documentaries I have ever seen. The footage was clearly edited so that the only snippets we saw would frighten us rather than tell us the whole story. Sequences were often cut at key areas and it became obvious that the reporter was trying to create confusion. I suspect that the truth is not as portrayed here. It was certainly not up to the usual standard of BBC reportage. I'm very disappointed that this made it through the editorial process. Peter
Whistleblower shows a whole set of poor processes and practices in place at Manchester Airport. For example, it appeared that search staff "adjusted" counts of bag searches by moving counts into different time periods. The checking frequency is essential to be effective. This makes a statistical mockery of the checks and makes them very ineffective. This program presents plenty of evidence but it makes overall a poor case. This is my local airport and I use it a lot. Give the staff the support they need and help them clean up their act. Paul
Manchester airports response was an out and out lie. It clearly contradicted all that the program revealed. Pete Tanner
I am a Captain at Manchester Airport. Well done on the expose. The Airport authority pays peanuts and gets monkeys. The real culprits are the senior managers who are only concerned with profits/bonuses. Jane McPherson
I'm in the middle of watching the BBC's programme and for the first time felt compelled to comment. As an ex BBC news employee I feel this programme is completely in tune with the kind of press that the "red top" tabloids deal in - and in no way is anything that BBC News should stand for. Airport Security is, indeed, a real concern to any of us that travel - I am in Manchester and fly on business most months from this airport. Watching this "reveal" is laughable. Yes, there are issues that should be dealt with .. but on points like the fact they could get near the runway and launch a surface to air missile.. does anybody think that there is any airport on earth where a fence would make a difference to that kind of terrorist action? I'm afraid most of the points on the programme are extraordinarily weak. This kind of tabloid tv is such a poor relation next to the outstanding journalism that the BBC is known for. It seems that the reporter concerned seemed far more eager about her position in being an "undercover heroine" than actually reporting the facts. S Hayter
Watching the first half of the documentary I'm concirned with the empasis given to 'random checks', bags should be only searched when there is a good reason, not because there are targets to be met. If there's no one behaving suspiciously, or objects you can't identify on the x-ray machine then there shouln't be any searches, but if there are suspicons then people should be searched. Asking people to meet fixed quotas only creates the problem that's being reported, faking of informtion to make management happy. I think a much better system should be implemented, get rid of quotas on random checks, instead the system should be tested, once a day, in a random part of the airport a planned fake security breach should occuur. It's madness siting people down telling them to do a job where mabie once in every couple of years the'll be something they should be alarmed about, complatency sets in, if there likely to be tested once a week, then they won't get lax about it. Niki Smith
Thankyou for a wonderful insight into the lax security common in all UK airports, the terrorists need not look no further! hold on isnt it september once again? bbc you help terrorists in uk? why have you broadcast simple steps such as these? burn bbc burn Anonymous
My boyfriends father works at Manchester Airport within Security - the subject of the programme. The documentary didnt shock me . What the documentary failed to point out was how much pressure the security staff are under by management in order to get passenger numbers/queues down and how they seem to lack concerns for Passenger Safety. Another interesting fact - Fat Cat bonus payments are been paid to management that aren't doing their jobs properly along with a huge paycut to all security staff within the same year. That doesnt seem fair does it?! From the things that I have heard about the airport, scrutinisation is long overdue. jim parsons
Doesn't this just prove the point that media hype and political agendas have more to do with new security measures and future id cards than actual threats. Mike Pugh
Travelling back from Stockholm recently, the plane unloaded the passengers quite a distance from the terminal, and had a coach to take the passengers to the terminal. The coach dropped off all the passengers at the back of the terminal, there were no airport personnel to show us the way, and so we all went up through the building the wrong way (up several flights of stairs), then can back down to where we started from, still no staff, and so we eventually went through a door which led to the baggage collection area - we went through without any security or passport checks. There were also several elderly people on the flight - and they too had to endure the ordeal of walking up several flights of stairs with their luggage, as well as the worry of being essentially lost in the airport without any airport security staff to guide us. Craig
flew from T1 in August...found security very tight..security even made my children remove fleeces tighed around their waists to ensure nothing was hidden! Dave Brammer, Manchester
Shortly after 9/11, I went through all the metal detector tests at Heathrow en route for Los Angeles. Once airside I went into a tax free electrical store to buy a personal CD player packed in shrink wrapped plastic. I told the salesman that I wanted to use it immediately and asked could he removed the hard plastic. He pulled out a Stanley knife from under the counter and was about to open the packing when he was called away. Amazingly, he just put the knife down on the counter. Had I been a terrorist, I could have picked it up and walked out straight on to a plane without having to pass through any further security check. jim
I think your reporter broke the law and should be prosecuted.To break the law for entertainment is wrong. It's like me thinking that I could kill someone and then show the details on TV for profit. William Lister
I travel a lot, thru Glasgow mostly and would like to praise the Security staff at Glasgow. Who are always polite and proffesional. Andy O'Hare
This morning at Manchester Airport, a colleague didn't discover until after he'd checked in that his ticket was actually for yesterday - in other words, he had been allowed to check in with an invalid ticket. Not a major security risk perhaps, but how could the system allow him to get that far without flagging up the discrepancy? Jan
Flying from Manchester airport to Skiathos on the 20th of August the conveyor belt early morning in terminal 2 wasn't working. We were told eventually as the whole terminal joined a single queue to leave all our cases on the floor in the terminal behind a number of roped off areas . All the cases that morning were left unsupervised in a busy airport without any security. We were then left sitting on the plane on the runway for four hours before take off due to no-one being able to locate the cases for boarding. On arrival at Skiathos guess what? approximately 30 of us without cases with a wait of three days before they arrived via Athens. Alex Harvey
I recently fly out for a holiday in Zante (Greece) we fly from B'ham & the security was very tight even making me take my boots off and put them through the x-ray machine, but when flying back to BHX from zante airport, the woman on the x-ray machine was not even looking at the screen, and when we had to walk through the metal detector, practically all of us set of the alarm and the 3 greek gaurds just sat there and said "your fine, next" we could of had anything on us, this makes it so easy for terrorists, this must be sorted out soon. A.J.Browne
Hey terrorists look... here's a good place to stage an attack! The media does the work for the enemy. There are more suble ways of dealing with such information if you really want to contribute to our nations security.... maybe that's not your aim though... Derek Stuart
In June, I passed through Manchester, Newark, Houston and Mexico City airports whilst inadvertently carrying a trimming knife ("Stanley knife") in my hand luggage. I only realised I had it when a baggage inspector spotted it on an X-ray at the tiny Chihuahua airport in Mexico. One security lapse could be human error, but four in a row suggests widespread negligence. Raymond Kelly
Made a complaint regarding full size table knife given to me to cut savoury roll airside at terminal one prior to a flight to Faro on 03/07/04.After contacting local radio station and head of security at Manchester Airport I was told "this could not happen airside" inferring my wife and I were imagining it. I have all relevant correspondence if of interest to you. | 
