A new security system, designed to detect Semtex explosives and drugs, has been tested by British police at the port of Liverpool on ferry passengers travelling to Britain from Ireland. The trial involved taking samples of air from inside a car or the hold of a ship, sealing the samples, and taking them to a collection centre, where four sniffer dogs tested the samples for explosives or drugs. Small quantities of Semtex were used during the tests, which were carried out by a private company with the help of Merseyside police and the port authority.
A spokesman for the Home Office said the two-week trial, which ended on Thursday, was "encouraging".