June 26, 2003 17:18

18 INCHES OF TROUBLE

Norwegian porno-punks attract wrong sort of attention in Stuttgart over an 18-inch blade hidden in a guitar case...

High camp Norwegian rockers TurboNegro flew into trouble earlier this week when they were arrested at Stuttgart airport for arms smuggling.

The lipstick loving six-piece where on their way from their show in the German city back home to Oslo when the authorities grabbed them. As the band were passing through security at around 6am (June 23), an eagle-eyed official spotted an 18-inch knife in the band's luggage as it went through the X-Ray machine. Police immediately swooped.

"The band tried to explain that it was a stage-prop used by Hank," a spokesperson said. "It was held inside a cane and the cane was inside a guitar case. But they were having no of it. When the police asked who it belonged to, the band said it was all of them."

The police refused to arrest the entire band and eventually one of the crew, identified only as Trond, took the blame and was hauled off to the local jail.

He was released some time later after paying a fine.

Meanwhile, TurboNegro remain unbowed.

"What's the world coming to when men in long black hair and long black beards can't bring an 18 inch dagger onto planes anymore," leader Happy Tom said.