Manchester offers Valentine's secret

Manchester Airport is offering a special Valentine's Day password service designed to help lovers keep engagement surprises a secret.

Security officials, if provided with a password, will conduct routine security checks behind a screen, so loved ones will not see if an engagement ring, gift or other potentially embarrassing item is secretly stored, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Airport officials hope that this will lead to more proposals in romantic locations such as Milan or Paris, and less by the airport X-ray machine.

Mike Fazackerley, Manchester Airport's director of security and customer services, said: "This is one of those occasions where we're trying to strike a careful balance between the highest standards of security and customer experience."

Manchester Airport recently had some confusion over its security procedures, as travellers took "bizarre" steps to avoid the restrictions on liquids, including one man who drank a whole bottle of vodka.

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