British Army officer charged after dummy grenade found at airport

A senior officer in the British Army has been charged after allegedly taking a decommissioned hand grenade through Scotland’s busiest airport.

Lt Col Hugo Clark, 54 is accused of taking a deactivated explosive through security at Edinburgh Airport on 16 October.

A bomb squad was called to the scene and the item, a dummy grenade used in training according to reports, was assessed as “non-viable and posed no threat”.

He was released from custody at the time and will appear before a court at a later date.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “Around 08:05 on Wednesday October 16, police were called by security at Edinburgh Airport after a decommissioned ordnance device was found during scanning of a passenger’s hand luggage.

“A 54-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection and released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.”

A spokesperson for the Army said: “A service person was involved in a security incident at Edinburgh Airport on 16 October.

“As the matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings we won’t comment further.”

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been approached for comment.