Last Tuesday (11th) I was on the short hop MAN~IOM and apart from the failure of the check-in luggage system, so that everyone had to take their bags to be deposited manually one-at-a-time to a fellow who was being patient and diligent, the airport was fine ...
My hand case was pulled and had to be searched. Eventually, they decided that what was a problem was my MagLite torch. It is the small one with two AA batteries. I have been carrying one of these for 20 years (each time I lose it, I buy another). They sent this back to be x-rayed all by itself as "It looked like a fork". That is, a pencil shaped torch, looked like a fork. Lucky I wasn't carrying that 2.5 Kg laptop (bash someone across the head with that and they will be temporarily discommoded) but all was well. They also used their sniffer pad system on several items in my hand case. I wonder what chemical analysis the machine made off the wrapper of a Kit-Kat (Chunky)?
On the belt issue, at MAN, belts were not to be taken off or (in my queue) shoes. The following day, IOM~LGW, it was no belts off but it was shoes off. As they only have a single channel, it meant that ALL belts were safe.
In the past, the IOM metal arch scanner has clearly been set at a higher sensitivity, as it reacts to things that the ones at LTN or LGW do not. The staff deny this and say that all scanners/detectors are set to the same sensitivity. However, they ALL miss the sharp blade that I carry with me. For more than five years, this blade - both straight edge and serrated - of 4 cm length, goes through every time. I have reached the point that I will not mind if they do eventually confiscate it, as it is so much fun each time they miss it. The blade will do a lot more damage to a human than my MagLite torch.