Student is jailed in US for 'bombs in bag' joke

A British student is being held in an American jail after allegedly joking about having bombs in her luggage.

Samantha Marson, 21, from Shropshire, was arrested while waiting to board a London-bound British Airways flight at Miami airport. Ms Marson is believed to have placed her hand luggage on the belt at a security check saying to staff: "Hey be careful, I have three bombs in here." Asked to repeat herself, she allegedly made the same statement twice more.

Ms Marson was arrested for making a false bomb report on Saturday and was taken to Miami-Dade county jail. She had been in the US for three months with her American boyfriend and was returning to the UK to renew her visa.

Bail has been set at £2,700, and if Ms Marson is unable to pay she could spend up to six months in jail awaiting trial. The Marson family's MP, the Liberal Democrat Matthew Green, said: "The authorities were right to haul her in just in case she presented a real threat to other passengers. But their handling of this issue now is out of proportion to the offence."

A BA spokeswoman said: "We strongly advise all passengers not to make any remarks which could be misinterpreted. American authorities take this sort of thing very seriously."