Air passengers enter Britain without passport checks
By IANSWednesday, September 15, 2010
LONDON - Air passengers were left stunned when they flew into Britain and no one checked their passports, a media report said Wednesday.
There were no Border Agency officials at Bournemouth Airport when the Ryanair flight landed from Malaga, Daily Express reported on its website.
The security breach - blamed on a breakdown in communication - means terrorists or illegal immigrants could have entered Britain.
Bob Shepherd, 59, a frequent flyer, said airport security had been farcical.
He said: “Something like 180 people got into England without any form of identification required. I could have been a known terrorist.”
An airport spokesman claimed around 135 passengers did have their passports checked.
She said: “The error was quickly identified by staff who arranged for the vast majority of passengers to go through the normal immigration process.”
A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said it was the responsibility of the airline or handling company to advise their staff when flights arrived.
