Tourist says Cardiff Airport staff treated him 'like a criminal' because of his stoma bag - after he was escorted to an interview room and searched

A cancer survivor living with a stoma says he was made to feel like a 'criminal' during a recent visit to Cardiff Airport. Paul Scanlon, 57, from Cardiff, was first fitted with a stoma bag, which collects waste from his body, almost four years ago after battling stage three bowel cancer.However, he says he frequently faces issues when travelling with the medical aid and particularly at airports. Mr Scanlon most recently flew via Cardiff Airport and told the BBC that he was shocked by how insensitively he says he was treated as he passed through security.He appeared on BBC Wales Today yesterday, explaining: 'My wife took my bag off the belt, I had already gone through security, handed it to me and out of complete nowhere this very large gentleman started shouting and screaming, "You can't touch that bag! Leave it alone, get away".The air passenger added: 'Him and his colleague escorted me one flanked either side into an interview room where I was searched.' Paul Scanlon, 57, uses a stoma after battling stage three bowel cancer; this week he accused staff at Cardiff Airport of treating him 'like a criminal' after he was stopped at securityMr Scanlon is now campaigning for better awareness amongst staff working in busy, public environments of the health condition.He called for more 'dignity', 'compassion' and 'empathy' when dealing with passengers with stomas. 'When you've gone through what we've gone through over the last four years, it makes you really appreciate that you can go away,' he said.The experience, however, has put him off jetting off abroad in the future.'I just don't want to go flying again, I don't want to go through an airport,' Mr Scanlon said.A spokesman for Cardiff Airport told the Daily Mail: 'We recognise that the security process can be a particularly sensitive experience for passengers living with a stoma or other medical condition. Where additional screening is required, passengers can be offered a private search room to help ensure the process is carried out with dignity and discretion. The cancer survivor from Cardiff says ostomates, people with stomas, should be treated more sensitively when travelling He recalled a situation in Cardiff Airport and was 'made to feel like a criminal''We are committed to making the airport as accessible and welcoming as possible for all passengers, including those with invisible illnesses and additional needs.'The airport added that staff 'have undertaken stoma awareness training to help them better understand the experiences of people living with a stoma and ensure any necessary screening is carried out sensitively, respectfully and appropriately.'The hub said it had also been working with 'charities and organisations representing passengers with a wide range of needs through our Accessibility Forum'.Speaking to the Daily Mail, a UK Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: 'We strongly believe that everyone should have access to air travel and expect all passengers from the UK to be able to enjoy the best possible flight.'We place obligations on airports to ensure their staff receive disability awareness training and always expect security officers to engage with passengers in a sensitive and understanding manner.'We continue to work closely with organisations and charities representing disabled passengers to ensure our guidance to airports and passengers is clear and concise.'Other stoma users have spoken out previously, echoing Mr Scanlon's thoughts. Nicole Trimboli, 51, from Australia, first beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2006, only to face a second devastating diagnosis of bowel cancer in 2021.As a result, Ms Trimboli's bowel was removed – leaving her with a stoma and ostomy bag. But the two-time cancer survivor, author and wellness mentor is keen to continue travelling.Ms Trimboli previously told the Daily Mail: 'Navigating airport security is a whole new world as an ostomate. You look like you're concealing something, unfortunately. You are patted down and searched most times, and your luggage can be searched as well. 'I actually had a really bad experience here in Australia. Some of the time you need scissors in your little repair kit to cut the appliance to size. I had forgotten and left a pair of scissors in my repair kit, which was in my hand luggage.'They treated me like a criminal. They emptied my bag out and all my ostomy supplies. Emptying all of that out in front of everybody as you're going through security is quite embarrassing. There's the hygiene factor as well.'Flights can be equally nerve-wracking too, she explained.Ms Trimboli said: 'Airline staff are unaware as well, because it's a hidden disability. The confined space in plane toilets makes things very difficult. If it's just emptying my bag, it's not so bad, but when you have to take it off and put a new one on, it can be really quite challenging.'If on a long-haul flight you have an accident and it leaks through your clothing, there's not just the embarrassment of the actual leakage, there's smell for other passengers.'You may need to change your whole outfit, you may need help with the odour.'The Traitors season two star Mollie Pearce has also previously detailed how she finds travelling with a stoma bag.In an Instagram post uploaded earlier this year, Ms Pearce said that she feels grateful to now be able to travel, but there were moments during her three-week trip when she felt 'low' and 'different'. The Traitors star Mollie Pearce has previously detailed the struggles of travelling with a stoma bag In the candid video, Mollie proudly displayed her stoma bag while wearing a string of bikinis and stylish outfits in Thailand, as she opened up about how she didn't see one other person with a stoma bag the whole time she was travelling. She said: 'Honestly, my stoma is the reason I was even able to do this trip. A few years ago, travelling like this just wouldn't have been possible for me. 'I was constantly thinking about where the toilet is, pain, and flare ups, and whether my body would allow me to enjoy anything at all.'Thanks to my stoma, my health is better than ever. And being in Thailand for three weeks really reminded me of that. It didn't stop me doing the things I wanted to do. It actually gave me freedom to do them. 'So many moments on this trip where I stopped and thought I wouldn't be here without it, and I genuinely love Sid the stoma for that.'She opened up: 'But I do want to be really honest, and it wasn't easy all of the time, I think I'm quite good at sharing positive parts online, you know the highlights, the sunsets, the freedom.'When I really stepped back, there were moments I felt low, and there were moments I felt different. 'I didn't see one other person with a stoma bag the whole time I was travelling. And that sounds small, but for me it wasn't.'