Holidaymakers hit by airport scare

Jun 27 2006 By Leda Reynolds, Birmingham Mail

HOLIDAYMAKERS were forced to wait in the rain today after a full evacuation was triggered at Birmingham International Airport - after a food hostess trolley smashed into a fire alarm.

Fire crews from Bickenhill and Solihull scrambled to the scene after a break-glass alarm panel was accidentally smashed inside the Frankie & Benny's restaurant on the first floor of Terminal 1 shortly after 6am.

Passengers were ushered out of the building and forced to wait with their luggage in the downpour while firefighters scoured the building.

However, after 20 minutes, the crews declared the area safe after finding that the alarm had been set off when a trolley laden with food had crashed into the alarm panel inside the restaurant, which opened earlier this month.

"The break-glass button is along one of the main corridors where they bring out the food," said leading fire-fighter Steven Hodgetts of Bickenhill Fire Station.

"The restaurant hasn't been open very long and, as the break-glass is on one of the main corridors, we are concerned this could happen again and again.

"Together with the airport fire service, we have requested that there is some other form of protection put around the panel to stop this happening again or that the area is redesigned and the break-glass moved."

No-one was immediately available for comment from Birmingham International Airport or Frankie & Benny's.

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