This way through the side-door for passport control

February 03 2010 by Liam Clifford

Blunder at Heathrow is embarassment for UK immigration officials.

A member of UK immigration personnel has been caught allowing scores of airline passengers through a side door at a Heathrow terminal and without going through the normal security.

The BAA member of staff, who has since been suspended, was seen on CCTV shepherding the party, from Rome, away from the normal arrivals checks and through a unauthorised area into domestic arrivals.

The passengers, thought to total more than 100 left Terminal 5 having bypassed passport and border-checks. Staff from BAA attempted to round up the group from outside the terminal; however 61 of the passengers had already left the airport and are now unaccounted for.

A UK immigration employee said: "This appears to be a mistake, however checks are being carried out to establish if that is the case, the employee is currently suspended.”

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