EXCLUSIVE – David Cameron's bodyguard sparks panic on BA flight from New York to London when passenger finds loaded Glock pistol he accidentally left in toilets of jet
- A terrified passenger found the weapon and handed it to flight attendants
- The close-protection officer's gun is believed to have been a 9mm Glock 17 pistol
- He's thought to have taken weapons holster off while using toilet and forgotten it
David Cameron's bodyguard sparked a security scare on a transatlantic jet by leaving his loaded gun in the toilet.
A terrified passenger found the weapon and handed it to flight attendants on the British Airways scheduled service from New York to London.
Take-off was delayed by an hour because of the commotion.
The pilot announced that close-protection officers were allowed to carry guns on board but one passenger refused to accept the situation.
Scotland Yard last night confirmed that an officer on the former PM's close protection team had been suspended from operational duties pending an investigation. David is pictured in 2016 with two close-protection officers in London
The stand-off ended with the weapon being removed from the plane. Believed to have been a 9mm Glock 17 pistol, it had been found along with Mr Cameron's passport and that of his bodyguard.
A source said: 'Fortunately it was found by a law-abiding member of the public who did the right thing. If it had been found by someone with malign intent it could have turned into a very serious incident for everyone on board.'
A passenger said: 'A guy started to show pictures on his phone of a gun and two passports – one was David Cameron's – he said he found in the toilet.
The gun is believed to have been a 9mm Glock 17 pistol (file image). The pilot knew that armed officers were accompanying the former prime minister and decided against an emergency landing
A source said: 'Fortunately it was found by a law-abiding member of the public who did the right thing.' Pictured: the former PM on a flight in 2010
'They were just resting on the side by the sink. He was stunned by what he saw. Later the man pointed out the bodyguard as he came through our section. He was dressed casually, which surprised me, in jeans and a black and grey striped top.'
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Service said: 'We are aware of the incident on a flight into the UK on February 3 and the officer involved has since been removed from operational duties. We are taking this matter extremely seriously and an internal investigation is taking place.'
Mr Cameron's office declined to comment on the incident last night, saying it was a matter for the police. He was reportedly taking a weekend break in New York with his wife, Samantha.
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He is automatically entitled to round-the-clock armed protection for life. Close-protection officers are provided from Scotland Yard's elite Specialist Protection Branch, which also guards Boris Johnson and senior ministers.
The taxpayer funds them to travel with Mr Cameron around the world, even if he is travelling on money-making ventures. His protection squad faced criticism in 2014 when a jogger was able to collide with him during a visit to Leeds.
But the last comparable incident involving the squad was in 2008, when a female officer protecting then prime minister Tony Blair left her gun in a Starbucks.
Mr Cameron is automatically entitled to round-the-clock armed protection for life. He is pictured at The Cocklebarrow Races in Gloucestershire on Sunday January 26 this year
The latest incident is a major embarrassment for the police and could raise questions about whether bodyguards should be allowed to keep their weapons during flights
The latest incident is a major embarrassment for the police and could raise questions about whether bodyguards should be allowed to keep their weapons during flights.
But Mr Cameron may have been sympathetic, having sparked a security scare of his own in 2012 after accidentally leaving his daughter Nancy in a pub.
At the time, No 10 said Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha were 'distraught' when they realised they had left their eight-year-old behind after a Sunday drink. The couple blamed themselves and none of the protection team was disciplined.
Mr Cameron resigned in the wake of the 2016 referendum, in which he had campaigned to Remain. Since then he has adopted a low public profile. But he has taken up a number of money-spinning roles, including giving speeches around the world to large corporations.
Accounts released last week suggest he made more than £800,000 last year from speaking and media appearances.
The former prime minister initially considered a return to public life and is said to have expressed interest in the possibility of becoming the secretary-general of the Nato military alliance. But he has admitted he remains 'haunted' by Brexit. In an interview for the release of his autobiography he said he felt some responsibility for 'the state the country's got into'.
A terrified passenger found the weapon and handed it to flight attendants on the British Airways scheduled service from New York to London (file image)
