London’s airport woes continue as Minister tries to boost agency numbers

As the row grew over the impact on the UK’s reputation and ability to deal with the 2012 Olympics, Immigration Minister Damian Green admitted the Border Force needs to change the way it operates and said the extra staff would start work this month.

However, Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, warned: “Drafting in staff from other areas of an already overstretched agency is like putting a sticking plaster on a serious injury, it will do nothing to stop the inevitable from happening.”

Labour said some 1,500 Border Force staff were being cut as the management of the UK’s borders drifted “from one shambles to another”.

The complaints came as a senior Games executive warned that the delays were damaging the Olympic mission to promote the UK abroad and win business.

But Mr Green said: “The problem is that people, at certain times, on certain days, have to wait too long. We’re addressing that problem.”

He said Border Force needed to change the way they operate, work better with BAA and the airlines. During , he added, 80 more people were being employed.

But he denied the problems were caused by the “absolute numbers”, saying: “You need the right people at the right time in the right terminal.”

A central control room will be established and mobile rapid-response teams brought in, along with new shift patterns, to offer “additional flexibility” to help “cope with the peaks and troughs you can expect to get at any busy airport”, he said

Mr Green accepted that some passengers had been forced to queue for 90 minutes in breach of Border Force targets and pledged action to tackle the problem.

Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of Games organiser Locog, said: “The damage is being done right now.”

British Airways executive Willie Walsh said: “The Government is misleading people. We have a crisis, it has been there for some time and we need urgent action.”

Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle said: “There is now a real fear that these additional costs end up on ticket prices, meaning passengers face higher ticket prices as well as lengthy delays.”