David Cameron’s bodyguard forgets gun on BA plane

A police bodyguard has been suspended pending an investigation, Scotland Yard has said, amid reports David Cameron’s passport and a loaded gun were found in the toilet cubicle of a British Airways flight from New York to London Heathrow this week.

The royalty and specialist protection unit officer’s passport was found alongside the former prime minister’s and all three items were handed over to flight crew, with the gun subsequently being removed from the plane, according to the reports.

“The captain confirmed a gun had been found, which freaked everyone out,” one passenger on the flight was quoted as saying.

The gun, believed to be a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, was reported to have been left by the officer after he took off his holster while using the toilet.

Asked about the incident, which took place on Monday, Scotland Yard said: “The officer involved has since been removed from operational duties. We are taking this matter extremely seriously and an internal investigation is taking place.”

A British Airways spokeswoman said: “We follow CAA rules which allow UK police to carry firearms on board in specific, controlled circumstances. Our crew dealt with the issue quickly before departure and the flight continued as normal.”

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