New travel threat: S&M chic

Harmless trinket, or vicious medieval weapon?
Click the image for full-size and judge for yourself.

Fashionable though it might be, a £200 (about $386) keyring styled after a battle mace may not be the smartest thing to carry while traveling.

Fashion manager Joanna Jeffreys told today how she was stopped at the Eurostar check-in and questioned about a designer keyring attached to her bag.

Security staff then frogmarched her to a holding roomand accused her of carrying a dangerous weapon. Miss Jeffreys, 35, who works at Harvey Nichols, was on her way to the Paris shows when she was stopped.

The offending keyring is made by Mulberry, costs £200 and is highly fashionable. It is in the shape of a studded ball and chain.

Miss Jeffreys said: “It is my favourite fashion accessory but I didn’t realise how much trouble it could cause.”

Staff at Waterloo Station asked her to explain what she was doing with the miniature mace.

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The trinket, designed by Giles Deacon, is in a Harvey Nichols range. It is part of a collection of S&M-inspired jewellery and handbags ranging from £100 to £1,000.

Miss Jeffreys said: “It is very cool stuff covered in studs, shiny leather and whip-style straps but you would have to be mad to think that any of it could be dangerous.

“It is just a fashion thing. I was astounded that the security firm were so strict that they would pounce on a harmless little keyring.

Come to think of it, spending nearly $400 for a keyring isn't the smartest thing, either.