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An airport worker has been fired after writing an obscene message on a baby’s suitcase when a family “checked in late”.

Mario Lucas, 40, discovered the words “c*** stop checking in late” penned on the front of his seven-month-old son’s checked luggage after flying to Cyprus out of Stansted Airport.

The family, heading home from a trip visiting relatives in the UK, claimed to have checked in for the Ryanair flight to Paphos around 90 minutes before the plane was due to depart.

Mr Lucas told The Sun that “no one said anything” at the desk and they had a smooth journey through the airport.

“It was actually my son’s suitcase and calling a seven-month-old that word is rude,” he said.

The outraged father added that he would like Ryanair to replace the “brand new” suitcase.

Stansted’s baggage-handling contractor ABM Blue Handling said: “This unacceptable incident was reported by our own team on the day, immediately investigated and following conclusive evidence, the individual involved has been dismissed.

“Mr Lucas was contacted by the airport and an apology extended. We have a zero-tolerance policy for offensive behaviour, and we want to extend our sincere apologies to Mr Lucas.”

The London airport’s general check-in guidance advises you to have checked in and be ready to go through security at least two hours before your flight departure time.

It’s not the first time this year that checked bags have been mishandled by airport staff.

In November, a United Airlines passenger claimed that a bottle of tequila he packed in his checked luggage arrived opened and partly consumed.

Rich Mac shared a video on Twitter/X of the unsealed bottle of Teremana Reposado tequila with the neck of the bottle drained.

The caption read: “So an employee at United went in my luggage, cracked open my bottle, took a shot and put it back.”

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