POLICE have issued a warning to holidaymakers following a spate of bomb hoaxes at one of the region's airports.

Six passengers have been arrested at Teesside Airport in the past three months after claiming to have a bomb in their luggage when checking in.

This compares to just a handful of similar arrests at the airport over the past five years.

All six were eventually charged with a lesser offence of making a false statement about their luggage after admitting they had been joking.

Despite this, police say it points to a genuine problem which is getting worse.

They have warned that airport passengers misleading check-in staff face heavy fines or even jail.

Sergeant Graham Charman, of Darlington police, said: "People are making a false attempt at humour and getting into trouble.

"Some have been drinking, some are stone cold sober, but they don't realise that airports are geared up to respond in a particular way to this kind of threat. Hoaxers are putting themselves in jeopardy of arrest and prosecution."

Penalties can range from fines to jail sentences of up to five years in the most severe cases.

Vic Errington, head of security at Teesside International Airport, said the airport, which will handle about 850,000 passengers this year, had adequate warning signs. He believed the increase was just a "blip".

He said: "The law states that anyone asked questions at check-in who knowingly or recklessly gives false information has committed an offence."

A spokeswoman for Newcastle International Airport said: "Security is a top priority and the procedures that we have in place are always to ensure the safety of both passengers and staff."

Simon Evans, chief executive of the Air Transport Users Council, said: "Security questions asked by check-in staff are for everyone's benefit and safety, and we would urge people to take them seriously."