Former medic Paul Fairclough held at Heathrow for dagger tattoo

Mar 2, 2010 20:21 GMT  ·  By
Ex-soldier is told to cover “offensive” tattoo at Heathrow even though there is no policy against body art
   Ex-soldier is told to cover “offensive” tattoo at Heathrow even though there is no policy against body art

Cases of airport staff asking passengers to cover tattoos that they find potentially offensive to other passengers are not unheard of, even though airline officials insist there’s no standing policy on body art. Still, the case of former medic with the 539 Assault Squadron Paul Fairclough, who was told to cover the tattoo representing the dagger on the Royal Marines Commando insignia, is causing a frenzy online, the Telegraph informs.

Fairclough was at Heathrow for a transfer flight, when he had to remove his jacket for the security check. The female guard saw the 12-inch tattoo he had on his right arm, representing a dagger, and told him that he must cover it before boarding his flight. The 29-year-old, who now works as a security officer, explained to her that it was the insignia of the Royal Marines and that he felt no need to cover it, but the female attendant remained deaf to his words, Fairclough is now telling the media.

“An ex-Royal Marine was told to cover up his regimental tattoo by security staff at Heathrow on the grounds that other passengers might find it ‘offensive.’ Paul Fairclough, a former medic with the 539 Assault Squadron, was left feeling ‘angry and insulted’ after an over-zealous female security operator objected to his 12-inch dagger tattoo. She told him it was airport ‘policy’ to require all tattoos showing offensive weapons to be covered up and she couldn’t make an exception for regimental insignia. The fact that the 29-year-old had risked his life while serving his country in Kosovo and Iraq made no difference to her,” the Telegraph writes.

“When Fairclough complained to a supervisor he was told that the official in question had made a mistake and that the ‘policy’ didn’t apply to regimental tattoos, but he offered no apology. ‘I was left feeling insulted, angry and incensed,’ said the ex-soldier. ‘I served my country and lost mates who were blown-up in Iraq. I am proud of my service with the Royal Marines and this left a bitter taste in my mouth.’” the publication further says.

Fairclough is perplexed not that airport staff asks people to cover their tattoos (admitting there is a policy as regards “offensive” body art), but that the attendant in question insisted that he did so even when he explained to her the meaning of this. In the meantime, the British Airports Authority at Heathrow has offered an official apology to the ex-soldier, but, as we speak, the controversy rages on online.