stopped

This harmless item isn’t banned by any airline, and many people pack it in their hand luggage, but the shape of it can trigger warning signs at airport security and see you getting held up in the queue

Airport security is one of the worst parts of flying, so once you’ve finally got to the front of the queue, you don’t want anything to delay your progress any further.

Once you put that bag on the conveyor belt, you want it to come through quickly so that you can get on with more important tasks, such as perusing the duty free shop. Nobody enjoys that sense of dread when your bag is stuck in the scanner, or even worse, sent off to the lane of shame to be examined by hand.

But many travellers don’t realise that an innocuous item could be the thing that’s halting their progress through the scanners as it’s shape can raise the suspicions of airport staff.

If you’re off on holiday somewhere with bad WiFi, or simply want something fun to do in the evening, you might be planning on bringing a deck of playing cards, UNO, or other card game.

Trading cards such as Pokémon have also had a huge revival in recent years, and some people even travel with a set of tarot cards so they can do readings on holiday. But packing any set of cards, whether collectible or mystical, can cause a security issue.

A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), who deal with airport security in the United States, told Travel and Leisure that they recommend people still place their cards in their carry on bag, especially if they’re valuable items like collectible trading cards.

Ian Cava from the TSA explained that it was the shape of the cards that can trigger additional checks, and it can make it seem like there’s something hidden inside. “Trading and playing cards can sometimes trigger additional screening because of the way they are packed and their density.

“When items are stacked tightly together, like decks, binders, or graded slabs, the X-ray image can make it difficult for officers to confirm there are no prohibited items concealed in or around them.”

Ian’s recommendation is that travellers should remove the cards from their hand luggage and place it in the tray next to the bag, alongside items like their mobile phone. “This helps speed up the process and reduces the likelihood of delays,” he claimed.

But if the cards still don’t show clearly on the scanner, don’t be alarmed if the airport security staff need to carry out a physical inspection. Travellers with large and bulky card collections should ensure they leave additional time for security screening.

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A pack of cards isn’t the only thing that can see you held up at security. There are a number of personal items banned from hand luggage that could cause you issues. Many items are banned due to being sharp and potentially dangerous, but even innocuous items such as corkscrews could potentially be confiscated.

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Passengers must not bring any of these on board planes or pack them in their luggage

People who use budget airline Ryanair for their 2026 travel plans will need to be aware that dozens of items are not allowed on board. Ignoring the list when packing your suitcase or carry-on could mean holidays never make it past the airport.

By now, most people know the basics of what is and is not allowed when heading abroad. These items are usually banned for good reason, such as to keep everyone, including yourself, as well as the staff and other passengers on the plane, safe.

Ryanair has published a full list of items staff will flag as too dangerous to bring on board in any kind of luggage. People who pack these items will likely be stopped by security teams during baggage screening.

People will usually be given the choice to surrender the item if they want to continue with their holiday, provided it is only a minor item, such as liquids over 100ml or certain small tools. Some airports provide bins at security for you to dump items before screening.

Depending on the item and situation, you may be allowed to pay for a postal return service, dispose of it, or face fines and prosecution if it is illegal. Police will be called, and you may be detained. According to the Ryanair website, the following items are strictly prohibited on board and in checked baggage.

Ryanair’s full list of

Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles. This also covers devices capable of, or appearing capable of, causing serious injury by discharging a projectile. Examples include:

• firearms of all types (such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns)
• toy guns (including recreational guns such as paintball guns)
• replicas and imitation firearms (capable of being mistaken for real weapons)
• component parts of firearms (excluding telescopic sights)
• compressed air and CO2 guns (such as pistols, pellet guns, rifles and ball bearing guns)
• signal flare pistols and starter pistols
• bows, crossbows and arrows
• harpoon guns, spear guns and nail guns
• slingshots and catapults

Stunning devices, designed specifically to stun or immobilise, including:

• devices for shocking (such as stun guns, tasers and stun batons)
• animal stunners and animal killers
• disabling and incapacitating chemicals, gases and gas containers, sprays (including tear gas, mace, pepper sprays, capsicum sprays, acid sprays and animal repellent sprays)

Explosives, incendiary substances and devices used to cause serious injury or to pose a threat to the safety of aircraft (or those appearing capable), such as:

• Ammunition
• Blasting caps
• Detonators and fuses
• Replica or imitation explosive devices
• Mines, grenades and other explosive military stores
• Fireworks and other pyrotechnics
• Smoke-generating canisters and smoke-generating cartridges
• Dynamite, gunpowder and plastic explosives
• Flammable liquids, flammable solids and substances that cause a chemical reaction
• Paint, turpentine, white spirit and paint thinner
• Alcohol with an ABV of more than 70% (140% proof)
• Toxic or infectious substances (for example, acids and alkalis, ‘wet’ batteries, bleach, poisons, infected blood, and bacteria and viruses)
• Radioactive material (including medicinal or commercial isotopes)
• Corrosives (including mercury, vehicle batteries, and parts which have contained fuel)
• More than one litre in total of edible oil (for example, olive oil)
• Lithium ion battery-powered vehicles (including segways and hoverboards), other than any wheelchair or mobility equipment that meets our regulations
• Smart bags in which the lithium battery has not been removed
• Fire extinguishers (except as authorised by fire procedures and as emergency equipment on the plane)
• Lighters and firelighters with a flammable liquid reservoir containing unabsorbed liquid fuel (other than liquefied gas), lighter fuel and lighter refills
• “Strike anywhere” matches
• Christmas crackers
• Energy-saving light bulbs
• Items with internal combustion engines

Items which Ryanair staff have good reason to believe are “unsuitable for carriage” because they are “dangerous or unsafe”. Staff can also refuse items due to their “weight, size, shape or character” and if they appear “fragile or perishable”.

Ryanair also adds to its ‘ban list’ that “fish, birds or any animals killed and kept as hunting trophies” cannot be carried on board or in checked baggage. These bans are intended to make it more difficult for the trophy hunting industry to ship remains—such as skins, heads, or tusks—back to a hunter’s home country.

Certain items that are not allowed in the main cabin can be packed in suitcases, such as “sharp objects, workmen’s tools, and blunt instruments”. See the full list here and how to safely let airlines know if you intend to bring one.

The village was evacuated in 1943 when residents were given just one month to leave – now frozen in time, it’s a haunting tourist attraction

A deserted Dorset village stands as a unique place in Britain, a relic from the past that hasn’t been erased from memory. Tragic events forced inhabitants to abandon their cherished homes many decades ago.

Tucked away on Dorset’s breathtaking Jurassic Coast, a visit to Tyneham village feels like travelling through time. Visitors can catch a window into the existence of the residents who were compelled to desert the village during the Second World War.

It was 1943 when the thriving settlement of Tyneham saw their world turned upside down forever. Britain was deep into World War Two when the military commandeered the village for training operations.

This meant heartbroken locals were handed just one month’s warning to evacuate their properties where countless families had resided for centuries.

The wartime government seized Tyneham village and its surrounding territory to establish a training facility for the Allied forces, due to its proximity to the Lulworth firing range.

Residents were convinced they were sacrificing their properties for the nation’s benefit and expected to come back after the war ended.

A message was attached to the church door, which stated: “Please treat the church and houses with care. We have given up our homes where many of us have lived for generations, to help win the war to keep men free. We will return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly.”

Tragically however, the villagers were never able to return to their homes in Tyneham as even after World War Two concluded, the village and surrounding area remained a training ground for military exercises.

Today the village, still preserved in time after more than 80 years, serves as a ‘thought-provoking and interesting’ visitor attraction. It welcomes guests at certain periods throughout the year and tourists praise its ‘fascinating insights into the lives of residents’.

When the village closes to visitors, the gates preventing entry are secured at dusk each evening.

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One TripAdvisor review states: “This deserted village has such an interesting history. The boards within the church detailing the villagers fight to be allowed to return to the village and the current position are very moving.”

Another TripAdvisor user called it ‘a wonderful place – very atmospheric and sad but in a way that keeps drawing you back to visit’.

Tyneham’s final resident, Peter Wellman passed away aged 100 in April this year – the centenarian made one last journey to the village in 2024, to revisit the location where he was born and raised.

During his 2024 visit to Tyneham, Peter recalled his early years, telling the Dorset Echo at the time: “We had no electricity, no mains gas and no running water – we had to pump that from near the church.

“I remember going to the beach and fishing and we often had mackerel. We were happy until we got moved out.”

Tyneham village sits within the Isle of Purbeck, though it’s not truly an island but rather a peninsula surrounded by the English Channel in Dorset.