Northern reland holidaymakers buying up mini toiletries allowed on planes as hand luggage are facing exorbitant mark-ups, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal today.

A Price Watch investigation has shown that in some cases ‘travel size’ products can comparatively cost three times as much as regular sizes in stores across the province.

Indeed, cash-strapped consumers may be amazed at the astonishing margins on some goods at a time when every penny counts.

Since luggage rules were tightened up in the wake of an attempted liquid bomb attack on 10 airliners in 2006 it has been forbidden to travel with more than 100ml of liquids in hand luggage, prompting many size-conscious travellers to stock up on miniature items ahead of their trips.

Smaller is also often better for airline passengers trying to pack as much as possible into already bulging suitcases.

The Belfast Telegraph visited Boots, Superdrug and The Body Shop to compare the prices of normal-sized containers with their travel size counterparts.

The results of our spot check showed astonishing mark-ups of up to 260% on a sample survey of just 16 products chosen at random.

They are, nevertheless, representative of what holidaymakers, or people going on a weekend break are likely to bring with them.

Take Nivea shaving gel for men as an example. A normal-sized container holding 200ml cost £2, compared with the same product in travel size at £1.50 for 50ml, representing a mark-up of 200%.

Carex hand gel cost £2.54 for 200ml, whereas the smaller 50ml travel size bore a £1.38 price tag – a 117% mark-up.

Or, what about toothpaste to freshen up en route? MacLeans White and Shine was priced at £1.99 for 100ml, or £1.00 for 20ml — a difference of 151%.

Even Original Source shower gel cost 92% more for those wanting to travel light — at £1.93 for 250ml compared with £0.75 for 50ml.

So popular are these tiny travelling companions with consumers, entire shelves in many shops are dedicated to them.

But, if you’re feeling a little less flush or you’d simply prefer to transform your hard-earned cash into spending money, there is another way.

Simon Calder, senior travel editor at The Independent newspaper, described the cost of 100ml containers as “ludicrous”.

“Like a lot of people, I have a selection of 100ml plastic bottles at home and I fill them with everything I need,” he said.

Administrative worker Annabelle Heggarty (31) from Killinchy said she always avoids paying over the odds.

“Empty plastic bottles only cost a little at major chemists and they can be re-used time and again,” she said.

The ongoing recession has seen unemployment soar, wages fall and household budgets diminish at a startling rate.

Yet this has not been reflected to any great degree in the cost of food or fuel — not to mention everyday living expenses.

And now, for people lucky enough to be able to afford ski holidays, or winter breaks — there’s the hidden cost of flying.