Man jailed after leaving bag in departure lounge
A passenger who left a bag unattended at Birmingham International airport, causing a massive security alert, has been jailed.
The Daily Telegraph reports that 25-year-old Jose da Silva, has been imprisoned for 10 days for creating a public nuisance.
The newspaper reports that da Silva, a plumber, was waiting for a flight to Portugal when he left his bag unattended to go outside for a cigarette. After his bag was spotted, the airport was closed for three hours while 1,000 passengers and staff were evacuated – and three incoming flights had to be diverted.
The prison sentence is thought to be the first for an offence that appears to have been committed unintentionally – da Silva reportedly said he had no intention of causing such an alert.
The Telegraph quotes a spokesman from the airport as saying: “This was an example of the sort of thing that can happen and how it escalates very quickly. We take these things very seriously and this was a serious security issue. The sentence reflects that and we would reiterate the dangers of leaving luggage unattended.”
The bag reportedly contained a teddy bear, some fruit and clothes.
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025