A plane passenger found with a butterfly knife at Stansted Airport has been cleared by a cour of having the knife as an offensive weapon.

Andrew Allen told a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court he forgot the knife he used while camping was still in his rucksack.

It took the jury less than 25 minutes to clear Mr Allen on the charge of having an offensive weapon.

The trial heard how 27-year-old Mr Allen's luggage was checked before he was due to board a flight to Prague on October 24.

A security guard noticed what he thought was a knife when a rucksack went through an X-ray machine and the knife was found.

Mr Allen, from Prague, said he had the knife since he was a teenager and used it for cutting up food for barbecues.

He said he had forgotten all about it.

Mr Allen was formally discharged by the court and awarded his costs.

The court heard he was about £1,000 out of pocket because of the proceedings

Published Monday, March 4, 2002