Bomb joke girl agrees to pay fine and apologise

A British student who was arrested by Miami police for joking that she was carrying bombs onto a transatlantic flight has agreed to apologise and pay $1,000 to charity to get her case dismissed.

Samantha Marson, 21, theoretically faced up to 15 years in prison if she had been convicted of making a bomb threat but he lawyers reached a plea bargain with the US authorities yesterday.

According to the deal, she will have to pay $1,000 to the charity for the families of victims of September 11 and write a letter of apology. The case against her is expected to be formally dismissed before a Miami court tomorrow.

Marson placed her carry-on bag on the belt at a security check at Miami International Airport, telling a Transportation Security Administration screener: "Hey be careful, I have three bombs in here."

Asked to repeat herself, Marson allegedly made the same statement twice more. She was released on $5,000 bail four days after her arrest.