Belfast International Airport lost and found is full of surprises

Flick knives, gun belts, bottles of Buckfast and a suitcase of garlic are just some the items taking up shelf space at Belfast Airport lost and found.

Belfast Live was invited behind the scenes for a sneak peak at some of the things we try to take through airport security or leave behind.

And they vary from the downright strange to forgotten teddies, general manager Rod Haskins worries will keep their owners up at night. Belfast Airport lost property

On the very day we arrived for our behind the scenes tour, someone tried to get a tree saw through security in their hand luggage.

“There’s no trees on the plane, so I don’t know what they are pruning,” said Rod.

“They voluntarily give it up – it’s either that, or they don’t fly.

“We have people turning up here with a litre of Vodka and we will say to them ‘you can’t take this through’.

“They’ll say ‘why’s that?’. In 2006 there was a liquids ban brought in, so that’s why.”

Rod says sometimes people argue that it’s not water.

“We can see it’s not water – but it’s liquid,” he added.

Unfortunately alcohol surrendered at security is poured down the drain, unless its owner goes back to collect it.

As are the many open bottles of perfume, cream, toothpaste and deodorant that are over 100ml in size.

Then there are the more unusual things people try to take into the cabin.

Tools, Hurleys, baseball bats, golf clubs and even toy wooden swords in ode to Cú Chulainn are not ok, says Rod.

Neither are replica firearms like Nerf guns or pellet guns complete with a ‘hand grenade’ styled container of mental pellets, gun belts, live ammunition, full magazine clips or knives – no matter the size size of the blade.

“Anything we are storing, there’s a charge involved and some people don’t bother coming back for it,” he continued.

“You can’t take it with you, so it’s a choice of either throwing it in the bin, not flying or we will hold it for you – but it needs to be something of some value.

“Maybe it was their dad’s penknife and they forgot it was in the bag, so we try to help,” he said.

“If stuff is not reclaimed it will be sent to charity or recycled in some way.”

This includes tins of tuna, unopened drinks, non-perishables and even high-end gooseberry jam.

With six million passengers travelling through Belfast International in the last year, Mr Haskins said they are busier than ever.

And that is why he is urging passengers to really think about what they pack in their cabin baggage.

He said some “could save themselves a lot of inconvenience”.

“Its pretty well known what can be taken onto aircraft,” he continued.

And if it’s something banned under Department for Transport hand luggage rules , there are consequences.

Rod said the tree saw was “well beyond the limits” and to “the higher end of the excessive, but it’s not that unusual”.

However, he said police don’t become involved “unless it’s an offensive weapon”

“We are not here to punish people,” he added.

“The only sort of punishment we would be doing is slowing them down because all their bags will have an in-depth search because there could be more items of interest.”

It’s not unusual for people to pack something wild as a diversionary tactic, so security “have to check everything out”, he explained.

And that includes a suitcase full of garlic abandoned before a customer boarded their flight to Poland.

“That’s just bizarre,” added Rod.