Fury as Heathrow boss takes August off work while airport queues continue to grow
A HEATHROW Border Force boss has enraged staff on terror alert in their busiest month by taking all of August off.
The senior manager is in charge of 800 at the airport whose own leave during the school summer holidays has been limited to ten days.
Lucy Moreton, of the Immigration Service Union, said: “It’s caused massive anger.”
The boss took holiday despite Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warning the terror threat to the UK is severe.
Around 3.5million people jet into Heathrow during August.
Officials put a two-week summer holiday cap on Border Force employees after initially wanting a limit of five days.
Richard Simcox, of the Public and Commercial Services Union, blasted staff shortages. He said: “The rostering system is a joke.” The crisis at passport control has seen training for new recruits slashed from three weeks to two.
And new machines to let passengers scan electronic passports themselves go on the blink.
Ms Moreton said: “They can’t spot home-grown terrorists.”
The Home Office insisted it had enough Border Force staff to keep the nation “safe and secure”. It said the boss on holiday, who The Sun is not naming, was one of 12 senior managers and colleagues will provide cover.
