12-Year-Old Bypasses British Security, Sneaks Onto Plane

A 12-year-old boy managed to get around stepped-up airport security and board an international flight outside London without a passport or a boarding pass.

The boy was discovered by the cabin crew before takeoff and turned over to airport police. Officials said they could not explain how he got aboard the plane, especially in light of security checks imposed last week after authorities said they foiled a plot to bomb jetliners leaving Britain.

The youngster, who was not named because of his age, left a children’s home near Liverpool and began the 245-mile journey Monday by taking a train to London and then going to Gatwick Airport, said Phil Green, spokesman for the Wigan town council, which oversees the boy’s care.

“Police were alerted as soon as it was realized he had absconded,” Green said.

Once at Gatwick, the boy dodged stringent security and made his way aboard a 6 a.m. Monarch Airlines flight to Lisbon, Portugal.

The British Airports Authority said it was investigating the incident.

In developments surrounding the alleged airliner bomb plot, meanwhile, a district judge ruled Wednesday that British investigators could have more time to investigate the suspects in custody without charge.

Scotland Yard said a person arrested Tuesday as part of the investigation was released without charge. Twenty-three are still held.