'Serial stowaway' woman flies to UK without passport or ticket

A "serial stowaway" managed to evade airport security and fly to London without a passport or boarding pass.

Marilyn Hartman, 66, was observed on surveillance tapes sneaking through airport security at Chicago's O'Hare Airport without any ticket or ID to board a flight to Heathrow.

She was detained by customs officials in Heathrow on arrival on January 15 and denied entry to the UK, Chicago Police said.

But according to the Chicago Tribune, she has a long history of trying to stowaway on airplanes with convictions for trespass in 2015 and 2016.

In a 2015 court filing, Cook County prosecutors described Hartman as a "serial stowaway" and she told media that she "may have" boarded planes without a ticket eight times.

Ms Hartman was denied entry to the UK when she arrived at Heathrow. Credit: PA

The court was told Ms Hartman used her hair to hide her face and walk past two TSA agents who were checking boarding passes at O'Hare airport at 2pm on January 14, prosecutors said.

She got onto a shuttle bus to the International terminal and slept there overnight before managing to get past British Airways staff and a Customs and Borders officer before boarding the plane.

Ms Hartman, who faces a felony theft charge and a trespass charge, was released on the condition she stays away from O'Hare airport and BA planes and wears an ankle monitor until her case concludes.

"There is no pun intended for your client, but she is a flight risk given the number of offences," Judge Stephanie K. Miller said to Ms Hartman's lawyer.