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London Heathrow LHR complaints| Can airport security staff assault passengers? |
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This is a question that needs to be answered urgently by the UK Department of Transport. Millions of passengers travel through UK airports each year and every one of them is subjected to security searches. Every passenger who triggers the metal detector is 'body searched' which means that a security person of the same sex feels them. How is the passenger to complain when they experience innapropriate pressure on parts of their body or fingers and other parts of the searcher being placed within their clothes? This is a serious matter that needs immediate clarification. How many passengers are being assaulted will never be known, but if you believe that you have been the victim of such an assault by airport security staff then you should contact your Member of Parliament and tell them immediately. Here is how one passenger complained to London Heathrow Airport LHR about being assaulted and the response that was received from LHR London Heathrow Airport. The letter of complaint to London Heathrow Airport LHRThe General Manager In a couple of months I have another similar journey to make, so I want some information beforehand. What should I do if I consider that I have been assaulted? Who should I ask to speak to, how do I know that my complaint will be taken seriously and that I will not be victimized? Specifically that the staff will not make sure that I miss my flight? What measures are in place to ensure that homosexuals or lesbians are not employed in this sensitive duty where they could abuse their position and derive sexual gratification from mistreating members of the public who might not want to complain especially as they know that they will be delayed in doing so? The North American screening method uses small hand-held metal detectors - why are these not used in the UK and more widely in Europe as this would virtually eliminate the possibility of assault, are quicker and much less stressful? I will look forward with interest to your comments and guidance regarding assaults. Yours sincerely, [name removed] Read response from BAA Heathrow Airport LHR Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           Comments (7)
  written by Kate, 13 April, 2010
Dear Sir/ Madam
I am still awaiting some response to my yesterday email. Currently the levels of stress that I am under as a result of the Body Scanner I was subjected to are prohibiting me from my work. Being a frequent traveller I am not used to feeling such a high level of anxiety almost 2 days after a flight! Could someone please respond to my email and properly outline and explain what I was subjected to at LHR Airport on Sunday April 11th. I would like details on the type of Body Scanner I was subjected to and information regarding what this scanner will do to me. As I explained in yesterday's email the security personnel had limited knowledge on the equipment they were using and there were no posters up explaining what was going to happen to me in the tiny closed door room I was forced to enter! I would also like to know who has access to the images that were taken. I am a scientist myself and I would like someone to respond and alleviate my concerns so that I can actually sleep and conduct my work! Regards, Kate
written by Kate, 12 April, 2010
Dear Sir/ Madam
I would like to know where I can place a complaint at the security measures at Heathrow and the harrassment of young single white girls travelling on their own. Wearing lycra clothing, and travelling minimally to avoid all hastle, with no place for storage of any personal belongings on my body whatsoever I was subjected to a full body pat down and touching all over. Standing shoeless with barefeet in lycra. This I can handle, as I have been subjected to before as I am sure most of us have. After completing this security I was acosted by a female security guard and forced to be subjected to a BODY SCAN. I had just been felt up all over I was wearing clothes that you could see all bumps through but still I was ordered to comply with a BODY SCAN. The woman was rude and the man was cold, not out of the ordinary the usual type for this type of work. The alarming this was that neither would / could properly explain the procedure, what it exactly did, what were the effects / risks / who and what they were going to do with the images. If I was pregnant what could or would it do to a fetus!! There were no posters in the tiny room explaining anything or what is was exactly they were going to do to me. I was terified. All they could tell me was do it or we will escort you out of the airport. They had no clue what is really was and frankly didn't care it was black or white. DO it or leave! Travelling on my own I was frightened to be taken by two complete strangers into a tiny claustrophobic room with the door closed and ordered to comply with this unexplained procedure. Do we all wish to be violated at the whim of anybody, in airports or at matches or hockey games. Where will this violation of our privacy and health stop? This is an issue that we must all complain against to stop violation of our basic human rights and who knows the long term effect on our health of just another addition to the radiation we are all subjected to. Are we all sheep!?
 written by jasminewok, 11 December, 2009
I was going through the ridiculous security checks at Gatwick airport when the security officer removed my scarf from round my neck. They did not return it to me and I did not remember until I was about to board the plane. On my return I went to the Lost property office and asked for my scarf back, which was there. they wanted £5 for it. As the loss was because they took it off me and failed to put it in a tray or return it to me and as it is mine, i refused to give them £5 the scarf is not worth much more than that. They refused and have now stolen the scarf off me. Bearing in mind that with their removal of aerosols they have also removed a tin of suede cleaner, do they ever actually need to buy anything or do they just swipe it off holidaymakers.
 written by RAC, 27 November, 2009
MF - you need to get a grip on reality, read around and take note - like the comment from FPB. Security staff generally have a chip on their shoulder - these people are the true jobsworths. They enjoy harrassing travellers and many passengers believe they see it as a perk of the job. Here are some facts - 1800 old people a year die in the UK simply because of un-necessary prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs to keep them quiet and compliant. 20 children a MONTH die in accidents in the home. The most dangerous part of any air travel is the journey to the airport. The UK alone kills a jumbo jet full of people every month of the roads. No-one is even telling you about those things and yet you are glad of airport security!
In the UK you are guilty until proved innocent, every aspect of government policy shouts it, just one example - the Independent Safeguarding Authority, and if you need another try Contact Point.
 written by FPB, 27 November, 2009
I would like to know whether there is some online method of making the following complaint, instead of by post :
I would like to register a formal complaint against the lady of Asian origin, at the Security checkpoint, for undue harassment on 25th November from Terminal 4 at approx 6:15 am. Can you please advise the procedure to make the complaint? While we can all appreciate the need for vigilance and thoroughness at airport security, this Security Agent's sole aim appears to have been passenger harassment. While saying she was searching for liquids, she seemed to be more interested in checking every piece of paperwork and other quite obviously non-liquid contents of my handbaggage! Surely some commonsense needs to be exercised by security? I was quite stunned to discover later that due to her excess zeal in examining the paperwork for liquids she had complete missed a new bottle of scalp medication which had been forgotten in the washbag!! I think she missed the actual purpose of a security check, choosing to harass rather than 'secure'. It must be noted that the same bag was rechecked at CDG airport in Paris, probably for the same reason that the bag was flagged at LHR. However the totally different attitude of security there, who chose to ask a straight question, and received an immediate verification meant that the bag was opened and cleared in under a minute compared to more than 15 minutes at LHR. Apparently a small plastic bag full of loose change was the article of interest, and had come up on the monitor as a black mass. Clearly the French have more commonsense and courtesy. Please advise the correct channel to address the above complaint to. Thanks and regards
 written by MF, 20 August, 2009
First off, how do you know your shoes triggered the activation on the machine? You may have been one of the Department of Transport randoms. The body searches carried out at airports are to detect ANY weapons that may be carried on a person. Hand held wands as you have seen at N. American airports would not pick up say a carbon fibre knife or say some form of triggering device. Hence several weapons made it onto a UA flight on the 11th.
Secondly, do you think that BAA would be open for liable cases if they did not employ homosexuals and lesbians in the security officers role? Next think you will be demanding that you are only searched by WASPs, White Anglo Saxon Prodestants, or are you only homophobic and not racist? As for taking your shoes off to be screened I suggest you google 'Richard Reid' the 'shoe bomber' it was 2001, how quickly you forget. If you feel you have been victimised, then do as BAA suggested in their reply to you and complain, you seem good at it anyway. But although security seems to be an incovience to you I for one am glad to some it is their job and they do it thoroughly.
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I would also like to add that to avoid discrimination of all passengers at London Heathrow Airport you should adopt a scientific method for selecting passengers to be body scanned. By this I mean use maths to select people at random rather than using your biased security staff. When I say biased, everyone is slightly biased. I know why I was chosen and discriminated against but this could be the same for any person or age.
In addition I suggest that you provide a pamphlet for the passengers to read and provide posters explaining what is actually going to happen to them and what are the consequences of going through the Body Scanner. Then there should be time for each passenger to digest such information and make their own decision whether to enter the body scanner or not.
It should also not be held in a closed of claustrophobic room, which I personally found terrifying. The facility should be in the open so that one is not felt as if they are being interrogated and forced into doing something they do not want to do.
In addition there should be an option not to proceed with such a scan and still be able to board your flight, as there apparently is in Canada from my recent research.
Regards, Kate