Child's tennis rackets mistaken for 'lethal weapons' at UK airport

London, Aug 12 (ANI): A holidaymaker has condemned airport security staff after they confiscated and destroyed his child's tennis rackets for being potentially "lethal weapons."

Richard Chew was flying to the holiday island of Majorca with his nine-year-old stepson Will when they were forced to hand over the rackets.

Chew, a 46-year-old PR, was stopped at Leeds Bradford Airport because of the alleged threat to other passengers as he travelled to see Will's mother, Vicky Locklin, in Spain, the Daily Mail reported.

"I appreciate that we live in a security-conscious age but this is ridiculous and I think they should allow the security services to exercise some common sense," Chew said.

"All I had was two kids' tennis rackets but they said I couldn't take them through. When I asked why they said it was because they were potentially lethal weapons. He actually said that I would be able to take it out of the bag and hit a steward or stewardess on the head with them rendering them unconscious.

"I mean it's possible but it takes a bit of a leap of imagination. You don't hear many people sleeping next to a kid's tennis racket just in case of a burglary, it's really silly.

However, he was told that he could take small scissors on board and knitting needles.

"You could do more damage with them than a tennis racket," he said.

"As a parting comment I asked him to make sure the rackets went to a good home, they're not particularly good but could make a child who has just watched Murray win the gold very happy.

"He replied by telling me they would be destroyed just like everything else that they confiscate. Apparently that's what they have to do. It seems really stupid," he said. (ANI)