Birmingham Airport skips hundreds of passport checks after computer failure

Updated


Birmingham Airport skips hundreds of passport checks as immigration computer fails
Birmingham Airport skips hundreds of passport checks as immigration computer fails

Stock photo, Birminghm Airport: PA


Hundreds of passengers at Birmingham Airport have been allowed to enter the UK without proper passport checks after a computer power failure rendered electronic scanning impossible.

The immigration system failure saw around 200 travellers walk straight through security on Thursday after being delayed for three hours.

The incident occurred after around 500 passengers were allowed to the enter the UK without their passports being checked on Wednesday night in a bid to relieve pressure on arrivals, a move that saw senior Border Force officer David Dodds suspended.

According to the Daily Mail, it is believed that border officials used passenger lists from flights affected to retrospectively check the identities of those who walked straight through immigration.

An airport source told the paper: "People were able to walk in without immigration staff being able to identify who they were until it was too late.

"It's all well and good checking the names against passenger manifests, but by the time that was done it was too late to do anything about anybody considered a potential threat."

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