Holidaymakers have hit out at “monster” queues at Heathrow immigration amid growing fears of a shortage of border guards.
Passengers claimed they had to wait for over an hour to pass through the airport – the third time in recent weeks there have been such delays.
Travellers branded the chaos an “absolute shambles”, with many posting images of the queues online.
Laura Wilshaw, a former senior ITV journalist, wrote: “Absolute shambles @HeathrowAirport T4 this morning. Hundreds and hundreds deep at passport control. Welcome home.”
Doctor Daniel Cooper tweeted: “Now been waiting an hour @HeathrowAirport passport control, no sign of escape any time soon. Absolutely shambolic organisational skills”.
Durham University graduate Charlotte Trundley, travelling into Terminal 3, said: “All 15 E passport gates closed. 13 hr flight later & have to wait in a monster queue. Cannot believe it.”
Immigration is the responsibility of the UK Border Force, which has had its funding slashed by ministers from £617 million in 2012-13 to £497 million in 2015-16.
A spokesman for the Home Office said the longest queue recorded for non-European Economic Area passengers yesterday at Terminal 4 was four minutes longer than the agreed service standard of 45 minutes, while all passengers in the EEA queues were dealt with within the agreed time of 25 minutes.
