PASSENGERS at Manchester Airport are allowed to carry more than one piece of hand luggage with them after restrictions were eased off today.

The airport was granted permission by the Department for Transport (DfT) to lift the one item rule as of January 7 and was one of the first in the UK to relax the restrictions.

This followed extensive investment in new security screening machines, staff training and additional security personnel.

Passengers will still not be allowed to carry any more than 100mls in their hand or cabin baggage.

Tightened restrictions meant passengers had to limit their hand baggage to one piece since August 2006 but following a DfT policy change airports have been allowed to apply for permission to lift the one bag rule.

Manchester Airport said it was given the go ahead because of an ability to cope with the extra pressure of screening additional bags.

Andrew Cornish, managing director, welcomed the decision. He said: "We're really pleased that our efforts to put speedy effective security screening in place have been recognised.

"We are one of the first airports in the UK to be allowed to lift the restriction and that's something we know our passengers and airline customers really want.

"We've invested heavily to bring us to the point where we know we are able to manage the extra pressure that will be put on our systems.

"The intensity of security screening will remain just as high but we will now have to screen more bags per passenger and that obviously has an impact on our operation."

Mr Cornish appealed to passengers to observe the liquids rule in order to keep queues at a minimum.