Cambridge Airport investigation after passport control gaffe

Passengers took to social media to complain when no border control staff were available

The Home Office has launched an investigation after passengers arrived at Cambridge Airport to discover there were no passport control staff.

Passengers arriving from Verona at 14:30 BST on Saturday were left in the airport terminal for about two hours. One passenger said a Stansted Airport staff member had to be called in.

Another said on Twitter: "Big mess up here, at the airport."

Both the airport and Border Force have apologised to those affected.

Neither organisation would say how many passengers had been affected or why no border control was in place at the airport.

'Highly unusual'

Laurent Gatto was one of several passengers to vent frustration on Twitter.

He said he had been "stuck" for nearly two hours "because first there were no staff for immigration control, and now they can't get the computer to work".

Mike Palmer said: "Parents stuck at Cambridge Airport because no immigration. Someone coming from Stansted. Typical British efficiency."

David Surley, head of business and route development at Cambridge International Airport, said: "The airport is in contact with UK Border Force Management to seek a clear understanding of the problems UK Border encountered in processing these routine flights and assisting our passengers entering the UK at Cambridge... to ensure that service is not compromised or further affected in this way.

"It is highly unusual for our passengers to encounter UK Border disruption during their travels."

The delayed passengers had arrived on an afternoon flight from Verona, Italy

A Border Force spokesperson apologised and said: "Border Force set high standards for its performance and we are conducting an investigation into what happened."

He said checks had been carried out on all passengers.

Last year Cambridge International Airport handled more than 20,000 commercial passengers. It operates international flights to Verona in Italy, Gothenburg in Sweden, Chambery in France and Jersey.