We’ve finally been told why – or, rather, been given a reason why – hand luggage restrictions are in place. This comes not from a minister but from an unnamed source at the Department for Transport, via the BBC:

[It is] far easier to detect possibly dangerous items in the type of smaller bag now being allowed to be carried on to aircraft by passengers than larger ones.

Officials showed reporters X-ray pictures of items in a large bag and items in a smaller one.

In the current enhanced security regime, the larger bag, which contained difficult-to-see hand cream, aftershave and shower gel, would have had to be rejected and a time-consuming hand search would have had to be conducted.

The good news is that:

a source has told the BBC the government hopes to increase the size of allowed hand luggage within weeks.

I’m flying in three weeks. Fingers crossed.

Of course, now that I’m protected from liquid bombs and have got over the effect of seeing Snakes on a Plane, I read that my plane could fall apart. C’est la vie.