Analysis: How the liquid explosive plotters brought instant chaos to our airports

In the wake of the arrests of the liquid bomb plot gang on August 10, 2006, tough airport baggage restrictions and body searches were introduced overnight.

The rules were designed to stop terrorists smuggling on board separate and seemingly innocuous household and personal objects which - when put together - could create a home-made bomb.

Passengers queued up outside the doors at Heathrow Airport after tough new security measures were introduced when the plot was uncovered in 2006

Liquids were banned unless bought 'airside' in duty free after security checks for fear of them being used as ingredients in a bomb.

Body searches also intensified, adding to queues and delays.

Mothers were forced to taste their own baby's bottled milk and prams were X-rayed.

Mobile phones, laptop computers, iPods and hand-held game machines - as well as other electrical or battery-operated devices - had to be put into the hold.

The rules resulted in hundreds of cancelled flights, long delays and lengthy queues at UK airports.

Although luggage restrictions were gradually eased in the months that followed, this led to confusion, with different airlines, airports and countries bringing in different regulations.

Two years after the arrests, travellers are still limited as to what they can carry on to planes.

However, the lengthy queues at airport security, frequent body searches and the 'shoes-off, jackets-off' regime still remains.

Although hand luggage of a certain size is now allowed on flights, liquids in carry-on bags are limited to 100ml in size.

Different airlines also continue to adopt different regulations.

Even now, when UK airports are allowing passengers to take two suitably sized pieces of hand luggage on board, the carry-on bag rules vary depending which carrier travellers fly with.

Airports have also beefed up their security equipment, and taken on more security staff, while airlines such as BA have seen profits hit by the delays and cancellations the restrictions have caused.

The emergency measures have also provoked intense civil liberties arguments and concerns about how many personal freedoms innocent citizens should have to 'give up' in favour of Big Brother surveillance and personal checks, to prevent other terrorist attacks.

Despite the terror threat, Britons have continued to fly in record numbers.