Warning Over Border Staff

12 July 2012, 09:16 | Updated: 12 July 2012, 09:21

There's a warning that border staff with only basic training and little immigration experience are being used to cut queues at Heathrow Airport during the Olympics.

Extra staff drafted in to help ease congestion in the arrivals hall are taking more time to process passengers despite asking fewer question. This is according to John Vine, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration.

He also revealed that the Border Force is rehiring former employees who left their jobs as it prepares to deal with more than 100,000 passengers a day during the busiest periods of the Olympics.

Immigration Minister Damian Green has pledged that all immigration desks at Heathrow will be staffed during busy times to avoid long queues, with 500 extra staff drafted in to achieve this.