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The Edinburg Evening News is slightly less PC than the BBC:

Pair caught taking knives on to plane

DIANE KING

TWO men carrying knives in their hand luggage were today stopped from boarding a passenger plane at Stansted Airport.

The men were trying to board a Ryanair flight to Oslo in Norway.

It was not yet known if they were known to each other or if they had any links to terrorism.

A total of six men were stopped from boarding the plane as a result of the finds.

The first man stopped, who was a British national, was found to have a small knife in his hand luggage when it was put through the scanner.

He was prevented from boarding the Boeing 737-800 and a second man was then found to have a lock-knife - a folding knife - in his hand luggage.

The second man, said to be "of Eastern origin", was also stopped from boarding.

Police could not confirm if he was from the Middle or Far East, but said he was travelling as part of a group of five.

A man who was trying to board at the same time was stopped from getting on to the plane and the other three people in the group, who had already gone through the scanner, were also prevented from flying.

The Ryanair plane, which was due to leave Stansted at 7am to fly to Torp Airport in Oslo, was delayed while their luggage was unloaded and departed at 9am.

Police said there was nothing to suggest that the two men found with knives knew each other.

They were continuing their investigations, including checking the men’s backgrounds.

The finds come amid heightened security fears as the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "We regret the inconvenience caused but we must take stringent precautions regarding passenger safety and we are sure the public understand."

Ryanair said in a statement: "A prohibited item was found by security staff on one of the passengers who was detained by police prior to boarding.

"As a precaution, all passengers were asked to leave the aircraft, at which time a full security search of the aircraft was carried out by security staff."

How interesting. Thanks for finding that article.

Police said there was nothing to suggest that the two men found with knives knew each other.

As if this means anything.

If they are using the cell technique of organization, it wouldn't necessarily matter. The IRA used to have teams for attacks that only met each other for the first time within minutes of their crime.

"We regret the inconvenience caused but we must take stringent precautions regarding passenger safety and we are sure the public understand."

"And airport gift shop cashier who sold them the knives has been sacked".......

"The finds come amid heightened security fears as the second anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks approaches."

That is what bothers me the most... airlines being complacent except for "anniversaries"... Jesus, get over profiling already and search them all every time!