Interesting.
For information, a police officer quite often has got a weapon of offence airside...Where do you think the tear gas, flick knives etc from pax go? As regards to things that aren't issued, well..whats more dangerous than a gun, or tear gas spary..or a batton? And what about a policeman who finds something laying around airside that is a weapon....are u expecting the BAA to detain a police officer and invetigate the circumstances? No...I thought not. And before you claim it doesn't happen....it does I was a Policeman at heathrow..so I know what I am talking about. As far as I am aware, the BAA are searched, Customs & Immigration are not....The reasons behind that, I don't know, as far as customs are concened probably because if they have seized something you can hardly expect a private security firm to then investigate it can you. Immigration, I agree with you.As regards to fake ID's well heathrow useds a swipe card system..difficult to forge....If a police officer did turn out to be a terrorist..well a search would not stop him handing over a gun to someone or using it himself or handing it to someone else.so how about stopping police going airside..go idea that.removes any possibility!