Anyone aware of new increased security procedures both onboard flights and whilst clearing security?

Club Europe flight this afternoon with a lovely crew and great service but was surprised that they wouldn’t allow passengers to queue in the galley area for the front washroom, instead making them wait on the other side of the curtain near rows 1 & 2. What surprised me was the explanation to a passenger that it’s for security in case one of the flight crew needed to leave the cockpit, and then she also brought up the incident years ago when a passenger with mental health problems managed to gain entry to the flight deck onboard a flight over Africa. Not complaining, the crew member was lovely but this is something I’ve experienced on American but never BA.

Then at T5 security (we have a onward domestic flight), my partner was taken aside after walking through the scanner and not only frisked but had his clothing swabbed. All 3 pieces of hand luggage were rejected at security and sent for secondary screening and it appeared that more bags were being rejected than were making it through causing quite a queue. We’re used to this at Manchester but haven’t experienced this at T5. When our bags were checked at secondary screening, our liquid bags were taken out and put through a scanner and the inside of our luggage was swabbed.

Not complaining at all and would would rather be safe when flying but wondered if something has happened or changed to cause security to be tightened up or was this all just coincidence.