Australian tourist arrested over airport bomb joke

An Australian tourist was arrested at Hamilton International Airport this morning for joking that there was a bomb in his luggage.

Acting Senior Sergeant Ricky Thompson said a security alert was raised shortly before 8am after some bags were found unattended in the terminal.

The bags belonged to a 44-year-old traveller from Sydney who'd gone off to try to arrange transport.

"Returning to the upstairs lounge he found security staff with his bags who cautioned him about leaving his luggage unattended in an airport to which he  reponsded that one of his bags contained a bomb and could they not hear it ticking?''

He told the staff he was only joking but police were called and he was arrested on charges of breaching Aviation Act offences.

Mr Thompson said police hoped the man's arrest would serve as a timely reminder of how serious security around airports was taken.

"It's not something we take lightly and anyone contemplating similar behaviour would be best advised to keep their jokes to themselves,'' he said. 

- © Fairfax NZ News