Berlin airport evacuated after police mistake sex toy for a grenade

The owner was allowed to continue his journey with the offending item still in his luggage

Schonefeld airport was evacuated for an embarrassing reason (Getty Images)

Security staff at German airports are under fire for a third evacuation in 10 days - the latest triggered by a sex toy.

A screening team at Berlin’s Schonefeld Airport, one of the six busiest in Germany, mistook an Ann Summers vibrator for a hand grenade and ordered an evacuation of part of the terminal.

The offending item was identified during an X-ray at the outsize baggage check-in area on Tuesday.

The airport tweeted: “Due to police investigation concerning a piece of baggage, check-in at Terminal D is currently restricted.”

The owner of the offending luggage was reported by Morgenpost to be a 31-year-old man who said he had bought the vibrator for his girlfriend. He was allowed to continue his journey with the sex toy still in his luggage.

The airport tweeted: "Police Investigation is over. Terminal D reopened. However, further impairments in passenger handling possible."

Schonefeld was the main airport of the German Democratic Republic, and is now used mainly by low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair.

Also on Tuesday, dozens of flights were cancelled at Germany’s biggest airport, Frankfurt, when the “airside” area was penetrated by a traveller who had side-stepped the security search area.

Departures were halted as passengers were evacuated “landside” so that they could be re-screened.

Dozens of flights were cancelled, while Eurocontrol said: “Arrivals regulated due to security reasons. Moderate to high delays.”

On 28 July, 300 flights were cancelled at Munich airport after a passenger was able to avoid the security check.

The oversight was identified only after they boarded their plane and departed. But more than 30,000 passengers had their travel plans wrecked by the subsequent evacuation and security sweep.