Man Suspected As Terrorist For Listening To The Clash and Led Zep

A man was bundled off a plane and questioned for three hours as a terrorist suspect simply for listening to The Clash and Led Zeppelin.

24-year-old Harraj Mann played The Clash classic ‘London Calling’ and Led Zep’s ‘Immigrant Song’ through his MP3 player in a taxi on his way to the airport.

Listening to the song’s lyrics, the taxi driver became suspicious and once he had dropped Mann off at Durham airport he alerted authorities.

It’s believed that The Clash lyrics “London calling to faraway towns, now war is declared and battle come down,” and the ‘Immigrant Song’s “The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands, to fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla I’m coming,” caused the suspicion.

When Mann got onto the plane, take off was delayed and police came on to arrest him. He was then taken into custody and questioned.

Mr Mann said yesterday: “The taxi had one of those tape deck things that plugs into your digital music player.

“I played Procol Harum’s ‘Whiter Shade Of Pale’ first, which the taxi man liked. I figured he like the classics so put on a bit of Led Zeppelin ‘Immigrant Song… Then, since I was going to London, I played the song by The Clash”

He added that he was “frog-marched” off the plane in front of everyone and had his bags searched before he underwent a grilling.

He finished: “It turned out the taxi driver alerted someone when I arrived at the airport and had spoken about my music.

“He didn’t like Led Zep or The Clash but there was no need to tell the police.”