Twitter Joke Commands Airport Life Ban

by Katy Murcutt - Online Editor

11 May 2010, filed under Consumer

With the heavy snowfall in January earlier this year many people suffered cancelled flights, failed holidays or being stranded abroad after a Christmas break. Mr Paul Chambers had arranged to visit a woman he had met on social networking website Twitter but was unable to do so due to the snow and ice that closed many airports throughout the UK. In response to his cancelled flight at Robin Hood Airport, Mr Chambers wrote on his twitter page, “You have a week and a bit to get your **** together, otherwise I am blowing the airport sky high!”

One week after the posting of his comment on 13th January 2010, Mr Chambers - who has insisted throughout that his comment on Twitter was made in both jest and frustration as to the travel restrictions - was arrested at work in accordance with the Terrorism Act as police received information of his whereabouts from a concerned member of the public.

Following his arrest, Mr Chamber’s laptop, iPhone, home and work computer were confiscated by South Yorkshire Police and his Twitter post was subsequently deleted. Mr Chamber’s endured a seven-hour interview by specialist terrorism investigators and was bailed an hour later pending further investigation.

The reasoning behind the ill-thought message was due to Mr Chambers need to fly to Ireland from Robin Hood Airport on 15th January 2010 to meet with a woman whom he had liaised with online via Twitter.

Yesterday, Mr Chambers was found guilty of sending a menacing electronic communication under the Communications Act 2003. Judge Jonathan Bennett ordered Mr Chambers to pay a fine of £385, a victim’s charge of £15 and more than £600 in costs to the court.

While in the United States there has been numerous arrests and investigations undertaken by police to ensure public safety in the fight against terrorism, this is the first recorded occurrence of an individual being arrested for comments posted on Twitter in the United Kingdom.

Mr Chambers has been banned from using Robin Hood Airport for life.