Holidaymakers have hit out after they claim they were left “trapped” inside a major UK airport and made to feel like “prisoners” for allegedly breaching security.
Diane and George Eastwood, from Shropshire, returned from Fuerteventura when they said doors locked shut in front and behind them, leaving around 40 holidaymakers “stuck in a corridor” at Birmingham Airport.
Mrs Eastwood told the BBC a staff member informed them they were unable to move forward due to a security breach.
But a spokeswoman for Birmingham Airport said they had checked their CCTV footage and “cannot find any supporting evidence” for a security breach.
Mrs Eastwood, from Norton near Shifnal, called for an apology following the incident where she says she felt confined like a “prisoner” when the doors trapped her and her fellow passengers.
According to her, an airport staff member stated they had to remain there until the doors opened automatically.
When Mrs Eastwood raised her concerns, she stated that another staff member informed them it would be approximately 30 minutes before they could proceed.
She told BBC: “I said, ‘You can’t leave us locked in here’. Children started crying and people were getting irate.”
Mrs Eastwood then threatened to report the incident to the media, before the doors opened a few minutes later.
However, security alarms were then triggered as passengers began to walk through, the couple said.
They were then told they were walking through a restricted area, breaking airport regulations and that the police were on their way, she explained.
She said: “People were scared when they heard the police were called. In the end, we walked off and people were coming up to me and thanking me for speaking up.”
She described the space as having enough room to move around but with no food or toilet facilities.
She added: “You wouldn’t want to be there all night. I was worried about the children. It makes you feel like a prisoner. What if a fire broke out? I’m not going to leave it as I think it’s unfair we were treated like that”.
Express.co.uk has contacted Birmingham Airport for a comment.
