If the UK authorities were to get clued up and publish a definitive list of what's acceptable and what's not along the lines of our transatlantic cousins
http://www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlib...-1-2005_v2.pdf then we could significantly reduce the small minded and officious pettiness (poorly disguised as "discretionary decisions") that we all have to endure at major UK airports.
And then if were to have a Code of Conduct for security procedures in the same way that Customs has about who has to repack your bag etc, we'd all know what to expect and there would an valid channel for justified complaints against the gooly-grabbers.
Just a thought.......