A former police officer had her tiny gun necklace confiscated at airport security because it was 'too dangerous' and passengers might think it was real.
Claire Sharp, who used to work for special branch, had the piece of jewellery taken off her as she was travelling to Perugia in Italy from Stansted on Friday.
The charm had sentimental value as it was a present from her husband Nigel Greenwood, who died suddenly in 2001, aged just 32 from a heart attack, because of their shared love of shooting and membership of a gundog club.
It is around an inch long and Claire wears it everyday in memory of her late husband who she described at the time as her 'best friend'.
Claire was travelling with her current husband, Lee, who is also a sergeant in the Met Police, and their 12-year-old daughter, Faye, when airport security staff told her she would not be able to take the necklace on the plane.
A spokesman said: 'Apologies for the inconvenience caused. However, under CAA regulations any novelty items, replicas and imitation firearms capable of being mistaken for real weapons will be deemed unsuitable for carriage and reasonably would be confiscated at our security.
'We understand that security is not one of the most pleasant parts of your journey, however for the safety of everyone, this is our top priority and all regulations must to be adhered to.'
The CAA rules state 'any item that resembles a firearm in any way, whether capable of firing a projectile or not, is prohibited' and cannot even be taken in cabin luggage.
A spokesman for the CAA confirmed it was up to the individual security officers' to decide whether to confiscate an object they deemed potentially dangerous.