A NATIONAL newspaper has been accused of exaggerating security threats at Manston’s Kent International Airport.

A reporter from The People said he squeezed through a hole in the perimeter fence and walk onto the runway, chatted to engineers in hangers who were working on planes, wandered airside for eight hours and watch passengers leave jets and was allowed to take photographs inside a hanger.

The tabloid journalist also claims to have posed for a picture under a jumbo jet, but it has been revealed that the ‘unguarded’ plane was actually not airworthy and parked next to a public museum nearly a quarter of a mile from the airport’s terminal and passenger planes and also outside the main security fence that runs around the 700-acre site.

Scare mongering tactics were also used with claims that bombs could have been planted and that airport security had no regard for a potential Al-Qaida attack

KIA started its schedule of daily passenger flights just two weeks ago and already caters for 16 flights a day.

It is hoped the airport, which is owned by The PlaneStation Group, will cater for more than four million passengers a year by 2010, rising to 10 million, and could even rival other regional airports.

The newspaper article is sure to ignite debate from anti-airport groups who insisted on assurances about the site’s security to go alongside expansion plans.

A spokesperson for Kent International Airport Manston said: “The People claims to have identified a number of security weaknesses at Kent International Airport.

“As a consequence the company has immediately put in place a full review of security procedures and systems at the airport. The People has offered to discuss its findings in detail and we look forward to taking advantage of this opportunity.”