May told to sort out chaos in airports

HOME Secretary Theresa May has been ordered to draw up emergency plans to deal with Britain’s border crisis as another airport launched an attack yesterday on her failure to cut queues.

The Home Office is now looking at measures including the reintroduction within weeks of less strict security checks on British and European travellers following concern expressed by Prime Minister David Cameron.

The Home Office has also been instructed to draw up plans for separate queues for international visitors who do not require a visa, such as North American citizens, and for a “trusted traveller” scheme aimed at foreign businessmen and frequent flyers.

The moves come after managers at Stansted Airport in Essex said “unacceptable” hold-ups had affected its passengers and demanded an explanation from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) for the delays.

Ministers are under intense pressure to deal with the failure of the Border Force – the arm of the UKBA which runs passport checks at ports and airports – to meet targets on waiting times.

Queues of up to three hours at immigration have now dogged the Home Office for more than a fortnight and become increasingly embarrassing in the run-up to the London Olympics.

Sources indicated there would be a closely monitored relaxation of security checks, but said ministers would not allow a repeat of last summer’s crisis when officials dropped checks without ministers’ approval.

This weekend, excessive queues spread to Stansted and fresh claims also emerged of chaotic scenes at Heathrow.