Gatwick bosses have banned a baggage-handler from crucial parts of the airport after discovering he was jailed for arson 24 years ago.

Michael Tomsett had his airside pass confiscated after BAA Gatwick checked his record and found he was jailed for three years in 1979.

Mr Tomsett, of Setfolds Field, South Chailey, served 18 months of his sentence for setting fire to kennels and a timber yard.

He was a 21-year-old part-time firefighter at the time and was on one of the crews called to tackle the blazes.

Mr Tomsett, now 46, believes he is being unfairly punished again for an old crime he bitterly regrets.

BAA carried out criminal record checks on all staff with access to the airport's restricted zones after new legislation introduced to combat terrorism after September 11.

Mr Tomsett's crime came under the category of "disqualifying offences".

Documentation standards manager Jackie Faber told his employers, Groundstar, in the South Terminal, that BAA Security could not allow him to retain his full pass.

Mr Tomsett has been working at Gatwick for three-and-a-half years.

He intends to appeal and Groundstar has promised to support him.

He said: "I've got a good chance of losing my job over this - all because of something that happened so many years ago. It's totally unfair.

"I served my time and I've never even stepped inside a police station since then.

"I've got my life back on track and now I could lose everything.

"Not having the pass means I can only do a bit of portering, not my main work as a baggage-handler. My wages would drop by £600 or £700 a month."

The GMB union believes between eight and ten per cent of Gatwick's baggage-handlers could be affected by the checks.

Frank Minal, Gatwick representative for the union, said: "The legislation is very draconian. It's disgraceful to go back so many years checking people's history.

"Often these are people that have worked at the airport for many years with extremely clean records.

"Tackling terrorism is of course extremely important. But this complete nonsense piece of legislation does very little to address that."

Mr Tomsett blamed his conviction on getting "mixed up with the wrong crowd".

His trial at Lewes Crown Court in February 1979 heard he set fire to straw at the Southdown Hunt kennels at Ringmer on October 1, 1978.

He then travelled back to Lewes, where he reported for fire brigade duty and was on the first fire engine to reach the burning barn.

On October 15, he met a teenage friend at a Lewes nightclub called Cleo's, where they discussed setting fire to farm buildings.

Then they set fire to Parsons Timberyard at Eastgate Wharf, Lewes. The yard was destroyed and the cost of damage was estimated at £70,000.

Mr Tomsett again helped fight the blaze when the brigade was called but was injured by falling roofing and taken to hospital.

The pair both pleaded guilty to the timber yard arson and Mr Tomsett admitted starting the kennels fire.

A Groundstar spokesman said: "Groundstar will continue to support Mr Tomsett while his case goes to appeal. We're looking to accommodate him elsewhere."

A BAA Gatwick spokesman said: "Safeguards and procedures are in place to minimise the risk of inaccurate information being disclosed.

"Where an individual wishes to query information held about them, an appeal procedure is available."