From the London "Evening Standard":
"A senior police officer was barred from boarding a plane after joking to airport staff that he had a gun.
Insp John Orr made the comment as officials at Manchester airport searched his hand luggage during increased security checks following the US terror attacks.
When they confiscated a penknife they found in his case, he joked: "Watch it, I've got a gun".
A heated exchange followed in which he produced his warrant card and airline officials eventually called in police, who escorted him from the building.
Insp Orr and his wife Linda were heading for a holiday in Crete and passengers on the flight were held up for 40 minutes as a result of the fracas.
Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that an investigation into the alleged incident was under way.
A police source said: "I'm not sure what comment he made but with the current heightened state of alert any form of comment is inappropriate."
Insp Orr, who works in Greater Manchester Police's traffic division, is now at home on leave while an investigation is carried out."
