Now Heathrow whistleblower disputes May's border claims

12 April 2012

Theresa May was hit by new claims of flawed border security today as a Heathrow whistleblower claimed that it was "frightening" how many people could be wrongly gaining entry to the country

The immigration officer said security at the airport had been "compromised" because of pressure to cut queues and warned that border protection systems were at breaking point.

He also rejected claims by the Home Secretary that the relaxation of checks on foreign citizens had been an "intelligence-led" way of focusing resources on the highest risk arrivals.

The comments, in a TV interview, came amid reports that Home Office lawyers expect Brodie Clark, the former head of the UK Border Force, to win a constructive dismissal case against Mrs May.

That would bring the 60-year-old civil servant a six-figure payout and be a significant embarrassment for the Home Secretary after her decision to blame him publicly for the allegedly "unauthorised" easing of border checks on people arriving from outside Europe.

Although Opposition attacks on Mrs May appeared to have run out of steam today, Mr Clark's appearance before the Commons Home Affairs Committee next week could cause her new problems, while the whistleblower's claims will raise further questions. "We've operated a light touch over the summer for the past couple of years," the anonymous whistleblower told Sky News.

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