From crackers to cranberry sauce: 10 Christmas items that’ll be confiscated if you sneak them into hand luggage

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Don't get too too swept away in the spirit of Christmas.

At least not to the extent where you're trying to shuffle onto a flight to visit family with a handbag stashed with mincemeat and brandy butter. That's what's London City Airport is warning anyway as it's compiled a list of the top 10 Christmas items passengers really need to leave out of their hand luggage, if they're taking a flight.

Over 190,000 passengers are expected to travel at the airport for a festive getaway, and it wants to make sure staff don't get accused of Grinch behaviour on the day if they have to confiscate your cranberry sauce.

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No seriously – last year, around 50 jars were confiscated from passengers trying to sneak them on board.

It may be Christmas, but the government restrictions on liquids, pastes and gels still stand – they've got to be under 100ml.

The 10 Christmas items to leave out of your hand luggage:

  1. Cranberry Sauce
  2. Brandy Butter
  3. Christmas crackers
  4. Goose Fat (for roast potatoes)
  5. Pâté
  6. Mincemeat (for mince pies)
  7. Mulled wine and Liqueurs (over 100ml)
  8. Readymade Bread Sauce
  9. Snow globes
  10. Golden Syrup

Melanie Burnley, director of customer experience at the airport, said: "We anticipate a bumper Christmas for travel this year, and we want to ensure that passengers travelling with an edible treat in their hand luggage don’t get unintentionally caught out at security. After all, it might not immediately occur to people that jars of goose fat, cranberry sauce and Christmas crackers are restricted."

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Earlier in the year, London City revealed its most commonly confiscated items of the year. Top of the list? Snow globes (they contain a water-based solution so breach the restrictions for liquids and gels). Around 12 a month get noted by security screenings.

The second most common find were jams and spreads from Harrods and Fortnum and Masons, while twice a month, fluffy handcuffs get confiscated from hand luggage.