Water pistol causes airport scare

Mrs Vinnicombe said her daughters were reduced to tears

A child's pink plastic water pistol caused an airport security scare.

The toy had to be registered as a firearm before the Devon girl and her family could board their holiday flight home from South Africa.

Kelly Vinnicombe, six, from Plymouth bought the £2.50 toy pistol in a shop at Cape Town airport with change left over from her holiday.

Kelly's mother, Sarah Vinnicombe, said she could not believe it was being treated as a weapon.

As it went through the machine, the man stopped it and when I went to get it he yelled 'don't touch it' Sarah Vinnicombe

She told BBC News: "We checked the baggage in then went upstairs to passport control.

"One of the security ladies quite happily took the gun off Kelly and put it in the plastic tray with my mobile phone.

"But as it went through the machine, the man stopped it and when I went to get it he yelled 'don't touch it'.

"I just couldn't believe what was happening. The water pistol is plastic and bright pink and has bunny on it. It does not look anything like a real gun."

Mrs Vinnicombe said although it was a toy it could not go through as hand luggage and would only be accepted as hold baggage if it was registered as a firearm.

"I was told it wasn't worth it, but of course it's worth it. It's the principle - it was bought there in the airport with her money."

International security

Although Kelly and her eight-year-old sister Bethany, had been reduced to tears, Mrs Vinnicombe could see the funny side of the situation.

She said she and the girls must have looked "hilarious" standing at the firearms counter with flowery rucksacks.

Cape Town Airport said it had followed standard procedures in line with international aviation security.

A spokeswoman said while the airport regretted that passengers were sometimes inconvenienced, it was better to be safe than to be sorry.