BAA said that passengers could purchase goods in the airport after passing through security, but those travelling to the USA were banned from taking any liquids. As well as the new rules, sales assistants said that the queues were another deterrent, with passengers reluctant to spend time shopping in case lines became even longer.

At Boots in Terminal Four, Lynsey, a sales assistant, said that the shelves containing sun cream and beauty products had remained more or less untouched since Thursday morning. “It’s definitely been less busy than usual,” she said. “The people we do have coming in are here to buy food and drink. It’s these that are really shifting,” she said pointing at the rows of wrapped sandwiches.

It was a similar story in W H Smith. “I’ve been doing more refunds than I can ever remember,” said Edna, an employee. “We’re selling hardly any locks as people can’t lock their luggage, but the one product that is flying off the shelves is envelopes, which people need to send the stuff they can’t take with them.”

Across the terminals, airport staff handed out see-through plastic carrier bags, into which passengers put the few essentials that were allowed. Several women voiced embarrassment that hygiene items, such as tampons, were now on display.

Some of more enterprising travellers took their own version of the transparent bag, including Susan Mullins from Birmingham. “I’ve bought a Clarke’s shoes bag — hopefully it’ll be OK.”

Others, such as Paul Wooley, from Pensylvania, bought plastic zip wallets. “They hold your things more securely than a carrier bag,” he said.

BAA will be giving out 100,000 clear plastic bags to passengers at Heathrow every day for the foreseeable future.

Suppliers of polythene bags said they had received increased demand for their products in the past few days. Polybags, a manufacturer, sent out an extra two tonnes this week.

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