A BUSINESSMAN has told how he was rescued from a risky encounter with Saudi Arabian airport security - by his Warrington library card.

Mark Jones, aged 46, of Great Sankey was working in Saudi Arabia for a Saudi Bank with IBM.

His visa was required to be stamped every month and Mark was awaiting the return of his passport when he was asked to make an internal flight from Riyadh to Dammam, to attend a meeting.

Internal flights do not require a passport, so the father-of-three passed through the outward flight control without any problems.

After a few hours he returned to the airport, but this time he was stopped by security who asked to see his passport.

Mark said: "They were very suspicious about how I had travelled to Dammam.

"I explained my work and told them that not having a passport hadn't been a problem on the way - I didn't walk there!"

The security guards rang the Saudi Bank to confirm Mark was genuine, but were not satisfied with their assurances.

Mark showed the 12-strong group of security guards minutes for his meeting, his request to attend and various notes, but said he began to fear for his safety.

He said: "I thought I was going to be banged up and thrown in a Saudi jail, in desperation I pulled out my MasterCard but that wouldn't do either.

"As a last resort I showed my Warrington library card with the council's coat of arms.

"One of the guards said 'why didn't you show us that in the first place, you could have saved the trouble' and they let me go!"

Mark's exclusive library membership entitled him to a full apology, a stay in the VIP lounge, food and drink and the best seat on his return flight!

The final twist in the tale came when the relieved businessman returned to his home in Warrington, only to find that the card that had saved him actually belonged to his wife.

He said: "Her library card got me through security in Saudi Arabia, the irony is she went to the library and tried to get a book out with my card while I was away and they wouldn't let her!"

Martin Gaw, head of library, museum and archives services, said: "We wouldn't recommend relying on one of our library cards as identification to travel.

"However, it is a passport to a whole world of learning and enjoyment."