Senior Army officer is accused of getting a hand grenade in airport hand baggage

A senior Army officer has been charged after allegedly trying to take a decommissioned hand grenade onto a flight at Scotland’s busiest airport. 

Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Clark is said to have taken the deactivated explosive device through security at Edinburgh Airport in his hand luggage. 

The item, a dummy grenade used in training, according to reports, was assessed as ‘non- viable and posed no threat’. 

Police charged the 54-year-old in connection with the incident, which led to the deployment of bomb squad specialists. 

The veteran officer was released from custody at the time and will appear in court at a later date. 

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘At around 8.05am on Wednesday, October 16, police were called by security at Edinburgh Airport after a decommissioned ordnance device was found during scanning of a passenger’s hand luggage. 

‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal attended and the item was assessed as non-viable and posed no threat.

‘A 54-year-old man was arrested and charged and released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.’ 

Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Clark allegedly took a deactivated grenade onto a flight at Scotland’s busiest airport

Mr Clark is said to have taken the decommissioned explosive device through security at Edinburgh Airport (pictured)

The item, a dummy grenade used in training, according to reports, was assessed as ‘non- viable and posed no threat’ (file image)

Mr Clark joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1988 and is now an officer in the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

He served with the Argylls in Germany and on two operational tours in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. 

Mr Clark was made an MBE in 2006 after training soldiers before they mounted a daring raid on a police station in Basra, Iraq, in 2005. 

He helped prepare the men of 12 Mechanised Brigade, including the Staffordshires, who were involved in an operation to rescue two members of the SAS being held captive by Iraqi forces. 

Mr Clark was appointed Edinburgh Garrison Commander, based at Edinburgh Castle, in 2019. 

An Army spokesman has said: ‘A service person was involved in a security incident at Edinburgh Airport on October 16. 

‘As the matter is the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, we won’t comment further.’ 

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been approached for comment.