Worrying rise in crime at UK airports as more than 6,000 offences including drug smuggling reported in a year

CRIME is increasing at UK airports — with more than 6,000 reported last year.

The 13 per cent year-on-year rise included assaults, drug smuggling attempts and thefts.

And the true figure will be much higher as Sussex Police, which covers Gatwick — the nation’s second busiest airport — said it could not provide statistics.

Incidents included hold luggage being raided at Norwich Airport before reaching baggage reclaim.

Cops at Exeter and Liverpool John Lennon airports seized packages containing drugs and weapons.

And a member of airline staff called police after a security guard at Belfast felt his groin and asked him to unbuckle his trousers.

The figures, supplied under Freedom of Information laws, show 6,056 crimes were recorded at major airports in the last financial year — up from 5,367 in the 12 months previous.

Of those, 3,804 were thefts, 795 assaults, 317 for weapons, 285 for drugs and 155 were sex offences.

London’s Met, which covers Heathrow and City, saw the most crimes at 1,979.

Next was Manchester on 1,657, then Luton (913) and Birmingham (303).

Trade body AirportsUK said: “Crime at airports, like everywhere else, is unacceptable, and our members work closely with the police to investigate and minimise occurrences.”