A student prankster was arrested after an allegation his joke about carrying explosives on to a plane led to him missing his flight and being charged.

The computer science student at Sunderland University allegedly told check-in staff at Teesside Airport his bag was full of guns and bombs.

He was detained by security staff and taken to Darlington Police Station where he was charged under section 21 of the Aviation Security Act.

As a result of his prank the student, 24, not yet named, missed yesterday's 5am KLM flight to Amsterdam, which he was using to pick up a connecting flight back to his family in Greece. He will appear at Darlington court on January 13.