Smuggled chickens ejected from airliner

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/feb/18/davidward

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The chickens had been smuggled aboard by a passenger in his hand luggage - evading airport security checks and an X-ray machine without so much as a warning cluck. After a search four chickens were found before the plane could leave.

No one, and certainly not the disappointed chickens, is likely to be prosecuted.

Sussex police said: "The crew discovered one passenger had two live chickens. He was with a group of seven Maltese nationals, and [at the terminal] they were asked to leave the plane. Two further chickens were found. The group had documentation to export these chickens but not by this method."

The police spokeswoman said she could not begin to explain why the seven had decided to export the birds as they did. "They were given strong advice not to attempt anything like this again," she added.

James Nicholls, spokesman for GB Airlines, said: "There are strict regulations about the carriage of animals in cabins of aircraft. We apologise to our other customers who were delayed. We are investigating with airport security to find out how this happened."

David Chappell, an animal inspector at Gatwick, said it would be impossible to prosecute the owners successfully unless it could be proved unnecessary harm had been caused to the animals.