An Australian man was hauled off a flight by police on Saturday after a fellow passenger reported doodles he had written in a notebook.

Federal police “responded to a request of assistance” from Tiger Airways, they said. The Sydney Herald says it saw a page of the offending notebook, and it read: ““In a land of melting ice-creams, sandy feet and fluffy bears, how could anyone be fearful of terrorism.”

Sensitivities surrounding the threat of terrorism are at a high in Australia following the news last week that police had conducted dawn raids in Sydney and Brisbane to stop a plot by Islamic extremists for “demonstration killings” – that is random killings of civilians.

Oliver Buckworth, 28, claims he was taken from the plane when another passenger read the contents of his notebook over his shoulder. Despite his explanation that he was writing about the absurdity of fearing terrorism he was taken from the plane.

"The irony is I was writing a sentence about the absurdity of the fear-mongering when we live in such a happy country of ice-cream and beaches and fluffy things," he said.

Buckworth was later released by police.