Spent some time pondering whether to post this here or in the Travel Security Forum... but I thought the UK Forum might be a better place because it's where the UK residents and regular UK visitors tend to hang about.

I have travelled by air quite a bit since the current rules on carrying liquids came in back in November, from a total of 13 airports including six in the UK and Channel Islands - LCY, STN, LHR, NWI, SOU and ACI.

One item I have carried in my hand baggage in all of these trips has been a 100ml plastic bottle filled with water... which, until this morning, has never attracted any undue attention at security.

This morning I was flying from ACI (Alderney) to SOU, a regular trip for me which I have taken several times since November.

When I went through security I was told that my water bottle was not allowed!

I asked why, and was told that only bottles with a manufacturer's label on them are allowed through security.

I asked "since when?", mentioning that I had travelled with this bottle dozens of times since November, and was told that this was (allegedly) a new rule that was brought in at the beginning of March.

I must say that this is the first I've heard of such a new rule - there was no mention of it on the official leaflet I picked up on arrival at SOU, nor have I found any mention of such a rule on the BAA web site.

Was this guy just making things up - or is there really a new rule against carrying liquids in plain plastic bottles?

Pay monkeys �6 an hour and give them a cap, they think they're God.

Sad but true. We saw it post 2001 with the TSA and now the lunatics are taking over the asylum this side of the pond too.

Last month tried to take some fruit pots to MUC, travelling with my infant son. These are like yoghurt pots but only 100ml. (in)Security insisted they had to be tested because they were food. The BAA site (not 100% applicable as we were flying ex BHX) said this was OK, but the fools were holding fast to the "food has to be tested" rule. I asked had it been shampoo would they ask us to taste that too - blank stare in reply.

Asked for a supervisor, he came and spouted the same 5hit.

'tis a great shame that it's not the terrorists that are dissuading me from flying, but their peanut eating bretheren are doing a damn good job. We're in the car for a 300 mile drive this weekend....

What else can we do with all the ex-Burger King employees? (With no offense intended towards those that could make the cut at BK)

So, you can have a bottle of unmarked water, but you can have 100ml of barbecue lighter fluid in a Highland Spring bottle?

Great! I've always fancied resurrecting my firebreathing hobby, and it would provide excellent IFE.

(makes note to stand behind STUT in the next TSA line, as it should be highly amusing!)

I guess it must be kind of depressing walking past the tariff for the short stay car-park and realising that 6 square meters of tarmac earns more in a day than they do...

*writes that down*

Just to update you all... I've just had a reply to the letter of complaint I wrote, and it's a full and unreserved apology - he was wrong, I was right!

That and 50 pence won't get you a cup of tea

Seriously, glad you got verification - you should probably bring that letter with you the next time you plan on bringing one, as the next monkey might be related to the first!