Firstly, I think it is absolutely disgraceful that as we approach a hundred years since the first Imperial Airways aircraft graced Croydon Aerodrome, we are still carting our customers' luggage around in open trucks!

I found it appalling that in the 2006 Fog Disruption misplaced bags were standing in trucks with rain pouring on to them without the tarpaulins pulled down and strapped (a 30 second job).

But, I have to say FrequentFlyer99, the problem you witnessed with bags being lft to "languish" is one of DFT security's own making. You see, once a bag has been left unaccompanied, (eg fallen off a truck) it has to be returned to the baggage sheds and go through the security scanner again, just in case it has been tampered with during the time it has been adrift.

So, on that roundabout, periodically a "sweeper" comes by and collects the waifs and strays but, by the time they have been through the mill again, the flight they were supposed to be loaded on is probably well on its way.

If only the guys would pull the tarps down and secure them - 30 seconds per truck tops - the bags would be held down around the corners!

.........It's not cheap for BA either - it costs an average of £250 per bag to reunite lost bags with their owners, not including the damage claims cos when these bags fall, they are very often damaged!