Luton passengers paying for airport security

Passengers at Luton Airport are being forced to pay £1 for the clear plastic bags that are now required to take liquids through the security checks.

Holidaymakers, who must use the officially approved bags to proceed through passport control, have to buy a £1 capsule containing four bags from a dispenser, even though each person is only allowed to carry one such bag on board.

If they reach security with a bag that is too big, not resealable, or opaque, they could be turned away and have to queue up all over again - something which the BAA estimates could take more than an hour at busy airports like Stansted and Heathrow during peak times in the summer.

A number of groups have claimed that the charge is excessive given the cost to produce the bags. Simon Evans, of aviation watchdog the Air Transport Users' Council, said management at Luton Airport could have done more to inform passengers beforehand.

"We would hope that if an airport like Luton decided that they would not provide these bags free they would get the information out there," he said. "They should get together with their airline partners and let passengers know. It sounds like Luton could have done a bit more."

Fuzzy Brush, the firm that operates the dispensers which are also installed at Bristol and Belfast International Airport, said that the price reflects the cost of producing and installing them.