Briton jailed in US after joking about bombs

• Student told airport staff three times she was carrying bombs - as a "joke"

• Faces maximum of 15 years in state prison for making a false bomb report

Key quote "Hey, be careful, I have three bombs in here." - Samantha Marson's "joke"

Story in full A BRITISH student was facing 15 years in a United States jail last night, after allegedly joking that she was taking bombs aboard an aircraft.

Samantha Marson, 21, who is originally from Bridgnorth, Shropshire, was arrested before boarding a London-bound British Airways flight at Miami Airport.

Police said that during a baggage security check, she told a transportation security administration official: "Hey, be careful, I have three bombs in here."

Asked to repeat herself, she allegedly made the statement twice more.

Ms Marson was arrested for making a false bomb report on Saturday and was taken to Miami-Dade County Jail.

She is being held in jail until she can come up with a 2,700 bond, the authorities said. She is scheduled to appear before a court on 6 February, where she will be asked to enter a plea, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

A spokesman added that if convicted, Ms Marson faced a maximum of 15 years in a state prison.

Last night, her father Jim, 75, said: "We are beside ourselves with worry. She phoned at about 3am on Sunday and was hysterical.

"I’m sure Samantha will accept that it’s a silly thing to say, but she’s the sort of girl who might have thought it would make people laugh."

Ms Marson’s local MP has called on the US authorities to deal with her case more "appropriately".

The student had been in the US for three months with her American boyfriend and was returning to the UK to renew her visa.

Detective Robert Williams, of Miami-Dade Police Department, said: "She placed her luggage on an X-ray belt and made a statement to one of the TSA [transportation security administration] workers, stating, ‘Hey, be careful, I have three bombs in there’.

"When the worker asked her to repeat what she said, she said it again, and he asked her to repeat it again and she said it again.

"At that point, she was taken into custody and transported to the jail."

He went on: "These things are considered as threats. It’s not something that we take very lightly. After what happened on 9/11, you just cannot come on flights and make these types of jokes. They will not be tolerated and we have to take enforcement action."

He added that when Ms Marson was asked her address, she told police she was from a town in Poland. It is believed her family originated from Poland but had been living in the UK for some years.

A Foreign Office spokesman said officials were seeking more information from the US authorities and Ms Marson’s family. An embassy official was today due to fly to Miami from Atlanta, Georgia, to offer help.

A spokesman said: "We will offer her any assistance we can and ensure that she is being properly treated. But it is up to US authorities if they decide to arrest someone for making allegations."

The Marson family’s MP, Matthew Green, called the comments "stupid but not worthy of weeks in prison".

Mr Green, the Liberal Democrat MP for Ludlow, added: "At a time when the United States is so jumpy about the threat of terrorism, this was an incredibly stupid thing to do.

"The authorities were right to haul her in, just in case she presented a real threat. But their handling of this issue now is out of proportion to the offence. Prison hardly seems the right response for what was, admittedly, a stupid joke in bad taste."

Both BA and Virgin Atlantic warned of the dangers of joking about security.

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