A Venenezuelan man cleverly outwitted security at Heathrow airport yesterday by smuggling a live hand grenade into Gatwick.

Police patrolling the ring of steel took the Picadilly Line from Heathrow to Embankment, changed onto the Northern Line, travelled southbound to Balham, then took a mainline train to Gatwick airport where the man was swiftly arrested.

The home secretary said, "Once again this shows the effectiveness of our security services. They snapped into action just as soon as the man's 8 hour scheduled flight from Caracas landed."