Brits face more Easter travel chaos as chocolate eggs are treated as security threat at airports with 18m travelling

THE big Easter getaway is set to cause chaos for millions on the roads, rail and at airports — where one is even asking passengers to put chocolate eggs in hand luggage as they may pose a security threat.

Bristol Airport said Easter eggs might have to be taken out of their packaging and checked by staff.

Zenpix

Long queues as passengers get ready for Easter breaks abroad[/caption]

PA

But passengers are being asked to put chocolate eggs in hand luggage as they may pose a security threat[/caption]

LNP

Passenger numbers are beginning to build at central London station[/caption]

But in a barmy twist, Cadbury Creme Eggs should go in suitcases as they could break the 100ml of liquid rule.

The bonkers rules emerged as up to 18.5million preparing to get away for the four-day Bank Holiday break were warned of long traffic jams, crippling engineering works on the trains and vast queues at Britain’s busiest ferry port.

Airport check-in desks will also be swamped — with delays made worse by the bonkers rules.

In Bristol, chocolate eggs will first be scanned by security staff to see if their hollow centres are being used to carry prohibited items such as explosives or drugs.

If there are any concerns over the contents staff will ask passengers to remove the egg from its box. They may even have to break into them to check inside.

But passengers at both Bristol and Heathrow are advised not to take Cadbury Creme Eggs in their hand luggage as they may get confiscated for breaking the 100ml liquid rule.

The airports said they should instead go in suitcases.

The rules were blasted by industry experts and passengers.

Kevin Harrison, of travel specialists Good Travel Management, said: “It’s going to slow down the whole process and could cause a risk to people’s travel plans on connecting flights or transfers. It could have quite a big impact.

“It’s also going to expose the Easter eggs to cold and heat, which is probably not very good for the chocolate.”

Denise Williams was flying to Milan to spend Easter with her two grandchildren, who live in Italy, and had packed four large Easter eggs in her suitcase.

She said: “It sounds very silly to me, not to mention plain inconvenient. 

“I won’t be very happy if the eggs get ripped open and they search inside them. Who’d want to eat them after that?

“They’re just a treat for the kids, not a security threat.”

Hairdresser Anna-Marie Mainstone, 54, said: “I guess there’s always going to be some nutter who will try and hide something, so perhaps there is some sense to it, but I don’t think many people will be happy about it.”

Easter eggs may need to be opened for a quick check

Spokesman for Bristol Airport

A spokesman for Bristol Airport said: “Easter eggs may need to be opened for a quick check.

“It is the easiest advice to give customers to keep eggs in cabin baggage, so they can be easily removed and scanned at security.”

Elsewhere, the RAC warned tomorrow was likely to be the busiest time on the roads, with 2.6million drivers trying to get away. National Highways is lifting 850 miles of roadworks to ease the pain.

On the railways, planned engineering work is likely to cause delays and cancellations. At the Port of Dover up to 20,000 vehicles will be hoping to cross the Channel.

Meanwhile, forecasters warned continuing showers and blustery gusts would all but wreck plans to wheel out the barbecue.

Met Office forecaster Ellie Glaisyer warned: “We’re not going to get the weather we were hoping for. We’ve been spoilt in the last few years but this time round it looks pretty wet and windy.