A damming comment has been made by BAA’s Head of Security, Ian Hutcheson, as he says that airport security plays into the hands of terrorists as it is far too predictable.

Speaking in the run up to a security conference held by the International Civil Avaitation Organisations in Switzerland, he said he favoured more sophisticated techniques such as behavioural detection whereby staff are trained to look for suspicious and unusual behaviour in passengers whilst they are in the airport.

Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, he said that airports should be given greater freedom in managing their own security, and that if security is mirrored in every airport across the globe it is far too predictable for terrorists.

The comments come as Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, is lobbying for great flexibility in airport security across the country.