You seem very keen to defend BAA but let's face it they're a bit rubbish at what they're supposed to do, ie get folk through airports. Way more interested in bloody shops. When I finally got through T3 security in the first place I found myself hopping like a loony putting my shoes on in the middle of the Duty Free Shop with nice smelling women very keen to take all my money!!
It's just WRONG WRONG WRONG. Toronto incidentally was RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT but then what the Hell do Canadians know? ( Answer : good manners, courtesy, respect and how to say "No" to the US of A when you need to !)
Incidentally since an ICAO standard airport cannot be trusted to screen security for a UK departure why on Earth would we allow them into our airspace in the first place? That in itself is logically an unacceptable risk.
Incidentally the numbert of times that they need to tell you on Pier 7 you are being watched does rather suggest there is a weakness there somewhere !
It's very creepy, like being threatened every ten feet by Big Brother, a corrosive feeling I think.