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Passport alert amid holiday booking surge
Today will be the busiest day of the year for summer holiday bookings, with up to 500,000 people expected to reserve a break abroad, the Home Office has revealed.
The Government is warning travellers they may face a six-week wait to get a new passport under anti-fraud measures introduced last year.
Adults applying for their first passport will be called for interview in one of 69 passport offices around the country.
Those renewing passports can still use the one-week fast-track service.
According to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) the shock of a first full week back at work will spark a surge in holiday bookings.
Home Office Minister Meg Hillier said: "We are encouraging holidaymakers to check their passport is up-to-date as it now can take up to six weeks for first-time adult customers to get a new passport."
All passports now issued are biometric passports, or ePassports, which include a chip storing physical details of the holder's face.
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
