A Black Country couple returning from a luxury break in Tunisia were shocked to discover thieves had intercepted their luggage between check-in and their flight home.

Ken and Victoria Cook, of Royston Way, Sedgley, say that they were vulnerable to a terrorist attack after several passengers’ bags were tampered with amid seemingly lax security at Monastir-Habib Bourguiba International Airport.

The couple said that they had only discovered their cases had been raided after touching down in the UK following a week at the sunshine resort of Port El Kantaoui.

They said that they found that the locks to their luggage had been hacked off by thieves who had snatched Mrs Cook’s watch and ring, worth a total of £180.

But Mrs Cook, aged 53, said that they were alarmed at the security breach.

“It is very very scary, the thought that your luggage has been tampered with after you’ve checked in and before boarding a plane,” she said.

“They could have got a bomb or drugs in there – it is really frightening. I was so upset when we got back.

“They had rummaged through all my clothes and toiletries but they found what they wanted.

“I know there were others who noticed their locks were off their bags as well.”

Mr and Mrs Cook reported the theft to police when they got back home but officers told them that there was nothing they could do as the crime had been committed abroad, Mrs Cook said.

The couple arrived back in Britain in the early hours of Monday on a delayed flight from Monastir.

Mr and Mrs Cook noticed damage to their luggage when they touched down in Manchester.

However, they did not check their bags thoroughly until their coach arrived in Birmingham because they said that they did not want to hold up other passengers, Mrs Cook said.

When they searched their belongings properly, they discovered their bags had been rummaged through and the watch and ring were missing.

Mr and Mrs Cook said that they had flown back to Manchester on a Thomas Cook flight late on Sunday night.

No one from the holiday operator was immediately available for comment.