Whereabouts are we actually talking about here?
Okay, in my day-job, I spend a certain amount of time around or flying in big aeroplanes. For that I've been security checked and issued with a pass, as have all the people I work with. In this post 9/11 world, that's fair enough.
For my private flying however, I've once been asked for a passport photocopy for some professional training, and Blackpool airport has insisted upon seeing my licence before they'd allow me back to my aircraft.
But apart from that, I really can't think of anywhere, of a variety of smaller and larger airports who have imposed anything more on me than a requirement to wear hi-viz jacket.
If there are a minority of UK airports imposing these sort of silly requirements, let's name them. But, I really don't believe that it's anything like a majority.
G