A PENSIONER has decided to give up flights abroad after the metal inside him kept setting off airport scanners.
Roger Hickford, 71, has been flying on holiday with wife Rosemary for almost 50 years. But the hassle caused by his metal joint replacements passing through airport detectors has proved too much for the Maldon man.
"We'll be left standing in an airport queue for up to three quarters of an hour and then as soon as I walk through the machine is set off," said Roger.
"You can imagine how that makes me feel when I have to explain every time. We either have to give up or put up with it so we've decided just to stop for the moment."
The retired builder has had replacement metal joints inserted into his hips, knees and shoulders.
Wife Rosemary also suffers from severe spinal problems and the Essex couple took the difficult decision to give up flying despite nearly five decades of foreign holidays.
"I remember our first flight was in 1966 flying from Southend to Ostend, Belgium. We had been celebrating England's progression in the World Cup and I remember feeling a little worse for wear as we travelled," said the 71-year-old.
"We had wanted to travel to Australia last Christmas to visit our son but thought it would be just too hard, and the same with travelling to Las Vegas with our daughter."
Mr Hickford has faced particular difficulty in foreign airports where officials struggle to understand his explanations for setting off the alarm.
"We've travelled to Turkey and sometimes they just don't understand when I tell them it's the metal plates," he added.
"If you looked at me you wouldn't know there's anything wrong, I look perfectly healthy but my bones are literally crumbling away.
"I may have to undergo an operation on my other knee soon."
To avoid the routine hassle the Maldon couple have decided to stick to coach trips in the UK for now, although Mr Hickford has said he's hopeful they may one day take to the skies again.
