Actor and comedian Chris O'Dowd has hit out at Gatwick Airport after security staff "body-searched" his three month old son.

Mr O'Dowd took to social media after going through the security process only to have son searched and his baby bottle thrown in the bin.

The IT Crowd star, 35, mocked the airport in a Tweet using the hashtag #ScaryBaby and said: "Some might think body-searching a baby and binning his bottle was overzealous and weird, but not me." 

It came  after he and his 36-year-old wife, Dawn O’Porter, attended the LDNY show and WIE Award gala sponsored by Maserati at Goldsmith Hall in London. 

A spokesman for Gatwick said:“All passengers are subject to the normal security screening processes at the airport.  When young babies come through security we ask parents to carry them.  

"If the scanning equipment picks up something, we have to check both the parent and the baby.  We always try to handle these searches sensitively. 

"The restrictions around liquids are government requirements, and passengers are advised that when travelling with a baby, they are allowed to take enough baby food, baby milk and sterilised water for the journey.  In some cases this will be over 100ml”