AN AIRLINE passenger from Ellesmere Port has been branded 'unbelievably irresponsible' for carrying out an airport bomb hoax.

The 27-year-old man, who has not been named, joked he was carrying a bomb on the day of the alleged Muslim terror plot to blow up airliners in the mid-Atlantic.

The man was apprehended by Merseyside Police at the check-in desk at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) and refused permission to board the plane.

He was cautioned by officers and later allowed to continue his journey.

On being told of the incident, Ellesmere Port & Neston MP Andrew Miller branded the man's antics 'just unbelievable' and 'irresponsible'.

The incident happened as the Ellesmere Port man was about to depart on the 2.40pm flight to Warsaw in Poland on Thursday, August 10, flying with Eastern European company Wizz Air.

A JLA spokeswoman said: 'At the check-in desk, the passenger made a comment, saying jokingly that he had a bomb in his bag. Security was immediately alerted.

'The bag was scanned by security. There was no problem with it, and no bomb.

'But because of his comments, the man was taken away by Merseyside Police and arrested.' She added: 'We take any comments like that very seriously, and it is because of this he was arrested.'

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: 'The man, who is 27 and from Ellesmere Port, was arrested for using words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

'He was taken to a police station in Liverpool and formally cautioned.'

Andrew Miller said: 'These matters are far too serious to joke about.

'Not only do people get frightened but they also divert resources away from real anti-terrorism.'