Tom Cruise, swashbuckling hero of the 1986 film Top Gun, lacks the "balls" to board a plane to Europe, for fear of falling victim to a terrorist attack, the culture minister, Kim Howells, claims today.

The outspoken minister contrasts the behaviour of "tough-guy heroes of the screen" with globe-trotting "grannies from New York" who think nothing of flying across the Atlantic.

Speaking on the eve of a visit to the US, where he hopes to boost British tourism, he tells the Financial Times today: "These people portray themselves as great action heroes and although we know they use stunt men, one would assume they would have the balls to do a simple thing like fly to Europe and set an example for the rest of the nation."

Dr Howells turned on Cruise after the actor failed to turn up at this year's Cannes film festival, claiming work commitments. But it may backfire. Cruise is a regular at his London film premieres, often pleasing the crowd with walkabouts.