IF YOU thought banana skins were only a hazard in cartoons, you’d be wrong.

A Hampshire man was stunned when he had to hand over his banana at a beer festival security check for health and safety reasons.

Matthew Nicholson, 54, from Aldershot had gone to the Southampton Beer Festival at St Mary’s Stadium with his son Joseph, 23, who had given the tickets to his dad for Father’s Day.

The pair had decided to attend the event to celebrate Joseph graduating from university in Southampton.

Matthew, a civil servant, said: “I had brought the banana with me and a bottle of water just to keep me going.

“”When they confiscated it, I said, ‘Seriously?’ and asked why are you not letting me take it in.

“I was told it was part of health and safety regulations because if I got food poisoning they wouldn’t know whether it had come from my food or food they were providing.

“I asked ‘How many times have you had food poisoning from a banana?’”

Matthew said he and his son did eventually relinquish the banana to go in and enjoy the festival, and picked it up on their way home.

“Inside a bottle of water was £2 - it seemed the whole thing was more about money,” he added.

“It doesn’t make sense because my train to and from Southampton has a catering service but they didn’t confiscate my banana in case I got food poisoning.”

Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), who organised the event, said on their website that, “Unlike previous festivals, food and drink will not be permitted to be brought into the festival. The venue will be selling a range of food and soft drink for consumption at the festival.”

However, a spokesman said the organisers had no control over the issue as it was down to security staff from a different company.

The Echo was unable to contact the security company before going to press.