One million Brits could miss booked summer holidays due to passport processing delays

ALMOST one million Brits could miss out on a booked summer holiday due to passport processing delays, say experts.

Odds of a “successful and timely renewal” are estimated at two to one.

Hold-ups could cost £1.1billion in cancelled trips this summer, said the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The Passport Office has urged the public to apply for documents ten weeks in advance as demand recovers post-pandemic.

PM Boris Johnson threatened last week to “privatise the arse” out of the department unless its performance improves.

Home Office minister Kevin Foster has said the government is “confident” it will not need to extend the ten-week target for processing requests.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said constituents: "fear their honeymoon may now be wrecked because their passports haven't arrived, even though they applied in plenty of time".

She added: "We've had cases of people cancelling jobs, parents trying to get holiday for a sick child waiting since January, huge long delays by the Passport Office and by the contractor TNT."