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By Sam Adams | 07:43 GMT, 25 July 2012

Boy, 11, flies to Rome alone without a passport or boarding pass after 'tail-gating a family'

An 11-year-old boy was allowed to take a flight to Rome on his own without showing a passport or boarding
pass, it has been revealed.

Staff at Manchester Airport have been suspended after Liam Corcoran was allowed to pass through five security
checks before making his way on to the Jet2.com flight yesterday.

The youngster is thought to have passed through security in Terminal 1 after 'tail-gating' a family of holiday
makers.



A spokesman for the airport described the security lapse as an 'extremely serious matter' and said it was being
urgently investigated by officials from the airport and airline.

Liam had slipped away from his mother during a shopping trip at Wythenshawe Civic Centre and made his own way
to the airport, according to the Manchester Evening News.

It is thought that the youngster may have been missed after mingling with a family of holidaymakers as he went
through security in Terminal 1 at the airport, the newspaper reports.

Security staff there scanned him but did not establish that he was unaccompanied and had no boarding card.

The schoolboy, who is believed to have an interest in planes, was then allowed to board Jet2.com flight LS791 to
Rome without being asked to show either a passport or a boarding card.

Liam was then missed by flight crew on board who failed to carry out an accurate passenger headcount.



The gaffe was only revealed after concerned passengers alerted cabin crew members, and the captain radioed back
to Manchester.

The crew alerted the captain who radioed back to Manchester.

The aircraft landed as normal at Fiumicino Airport in Rome but Liam stayed on board for the return flight to Manchester
Airport where he was met by his relieved mother at 9pm last night.

The flight home was delayed as flight crew were spoken to by the Italian authorities.

A number of staff from Manchester Airport and Jet2.com have been suspended while the investigation takes place.

The security lapse comes as immigration staff at Manchester Airport prepare to strike.

Terminal Three will close to international arrivals from tomorrow as Border Force staff stage a 24-hour walk-out
over planned staff cuts.