Traveling with little ones this holiday season? Dana Points,
editor-in-chief of Parents magazine, suggests these items to keep kids
safe and occupied while on the road.
Béaba Stackable Formula & Snack Containers These
stackable food containers can be filled with snacks for older kids or
formula for infants. The hook on top allows each stack to attach to your
purse or carry-on bag. $12, potterybarn.com
QuickSmart 3-in-1 Travel Bassinet
This
portable bassinet also folds into a changing station and diaper bag —
great if you get stuck at an airport during a long delay — and provides
everything you need for baby once you arrive at your destination.
$69.99, amazon.com.
Go Anywhere Booster Seat from Polar Gear BabyThis
on-the-go booster gives your child a secure seat right at the table and
has a five-point restraint harness and three sets of adjustable straps
to secure to a chair. $39.99, amazon.com.
Sock OnsThis adorable mom-invented innovation keeps socks snug on baby's feet. No more lost socks at the airport! $8, sockons.com
Pit Stop Potty ProtectorsAny
parent knows that traveling with toddlers means lots of pit stops.
These disposable toilet seat covers keep little hands from touching the
seat. $9.99, summerinfant.com.
Kalencom 2-in-1 Potette PlusIf
you are road tripping, this full-size, potty-on-the-go will save you
from having to try and find a restroom at a moment's notice. It uses
self-absorbing, disposable liners that discard like a diaper. Put this
in the trunk of your car and take it out when you need it. $11.99,
kalencon.com
Travel Tot Childproofing KitNow you can
childproof a room wherever you go. This kit includes a finger-pinch
guard, electrical outlet plug covers, foam corner guards, door knob
cover, cord wind-up, sliding door lock, cabinet lock, multi-purpose
straps, water thermometer, bandages, forehead thermometer, and a "Shhh,
Travel-Tot sleeping" door hanger. $24.95, travel-tot.com.
Original Seaband for ChildrenKids
who suffer from motion sickness can place these acupressure bands
around their wrists the next time they travel by plane, train, boat or
car. $10, drugstore.com
Zoobies Plush Blanket PetThese stuffed animals double as a pillow and blanket. $35, zoobies.com.
Friday 30 December 2011
Kids gets a place to play at the Airports
 |
Chicago Department of Aviation
Chicago O'Hare International Airport has two play areas designed by the Chicago Children's Museum.
|
Airport planners have finally learned what all parents already knew: Give kids a place to run around, and you’ll have happier, calmer children on board planes, which can translate to happier passengers overall.
At least 30 of the nation’s major airports have (or will soon have) play areas, and some airlines have installed play spaces within their own terminals.
"It’s definitely on the rise,” said Debby McElroy, spokesperson for Airports Council International-North America. “When airports are developing their facilities, they recognize that families with children are spending more time at the airport, and they look at ways to make it a more enjoyable experience, whether it’s art displays, game rooms, DVD kiosks or play areas.”
“It’s a great way for kids to burn off energy before boarding a plane, and it’s also separation from the business traveler, for example, who wants a quiet place to sit with his laptop,” said Perry Cooper, Sea-Tac Airport’s media and public affairs manager.
Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group, said catering to families makes good business sense.
“This is a marketing opportunity for airlines and airports to make customers for life,” he said. “If the flying experience from airport to flight to airport isn’t good, then not only will kids not want to take trips, when they grow up they won’t want to travel.”
In 2007, Southwest Airlines began installing family seating areas in their terminals at many airports, complete with low tables and stools, and programming for children on flat-screen TVs.
“We’ve found from our customers that those spaces are very helpful for kids to be able to read, relax, eat or just blow off steam before getting onto the airplane,” said Beth Harbin, senior director of communications for Southwest Airlines.
American Airlines has play areas in some of its Admiral Clubs, located in 22 of the nation’s airports. Not an Admiral Club member? Buy a $50 day pass, which covers one adult and up to three kids, for access to its play areas, showers, Wi-Fi, and free drinks and snacks.
Colleen Lanin, founder of TravelMamas.com, said while play areas can be hard to find, she’s thrilled more airports have families in mind.
“It’s great they are recognizing that families do travel with kids, and if our kids are able to get their energy out, it’s a better experience for everyone on the plane,” she said.
But if all else fails and you find yourself with squirming kids in tow and no play area in sight, do what Lanin does with her two small kids.
“Before we fly, I have them run around in our backyard or around a fountain at an airport and I pay them 10 cents for each lap,” she said. “It’s a fun way for them to earn a couple bucks to spend at the airport gift shop, and it burns some energy.”
Saturday 3 December 2011
London Airport Gatwick Airlines and destinations
Airlines and destinations
Gatwick has two terminals: North and South. The South Terminal is Gatwick's older and busier terminal, and is also where the airport railway station is located. The following list includes all scheduled services to and from Gatwick Airport, as well as seasonal charter flights.[141]| Airlines | Destinations | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Cork, Dublin, Knock, Málaga [ends 8 January] Seasonal charter: Grenoble [begins 14 December] |
South |
| Aerosvit Airlines | Kiev-Boryspil | South |
| AirAsia X | Kuala Lumpur | South |
| Air Berlin | Nuremberg | North |
| Air China | Beijing-Capital [begins 1 May 2012][142] | North |
| Air Europa | Madrid | South |
| Air Malta | Malta | South |
| Air Moldova | Chişinău | South |
| Air Transat | Toronto-Pearson Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver |
South |
| Air Zimbabwe | Harare | South |
| AirBaltic | Riga | South |
| Al-Naser Airlines | Baghdad | South |
| Aurigny Air Services | Guernsey | South |
| Belavia | Minsk | South |
| BH Air | Burgas | South |
| British Airways | Algiers [begins 25 March 2012], Amsterdam, Antigua, Barbados,
Bermuda, Bologna, Bordeaux, Cancún, Catania, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Faro,
Genoa, Glasgow-International, Grenada, Jersey, Kingston, Málaga, Malé,
Manchester, Marseille, Marrakech, Mauritius, Montego Bay [ends 25 March
2012],[143]Naples,
Nice [begins 25 March 2012], Orlando, Port of Spain, Pristina, Punta
Cana, Rome-Fiumicino, St Kitts, St Lucia, Salzburg, San Juan, Tampa,
Thessaloniki, Tirana, Tobago, Tunis, Turin, Venice-Marco Polo, Verona Seasonal: Bari, Geneva, Ibiza, Innsbruck, Paphos, Pisa |
North |
| Bulgaria Air | Seasonal: Varna | South |
| Cimber Sterling | Billund | South |
| Croatia Airlines | Zagreb Seasonal: Split |
South |
| Cubana de Aviación | Havana, Holguín | South |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta | North |
| EasyJet | Aberdeen, Agadir, Alicante, Amman-Queen Alia, Amsterdam, Antalya,
Arrecife, Barcelona, Bari [begins 12 June 2012], Basel/Mulhouse,
Belfast-International, Bologna, Budapest, Catania, Düsseldorf,
Edinburgh, Faro, Fuerteventura [begins 28 March 2012], Funchal, Geneva,
Glasgow-International, Gibraltar, Gothenburg-Landvetter [ends 9
January], Hurghada, Inverness, Izmir, Krakow, Larnaca, Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria, Lisbon, Luxor, Málaga, Malta, Marrakech, Murcia, Naples,
Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Porto, Prague, Salzburg, Sharm el-Sheikh,
Sofia, Tenerife-South, Valencia, Verona, Zagreb Seasonal: Ajaccio, Bastia, Bodrum, Chania, Corfu, Dalaman, Grenoble, Heraklion, Kefallonia [begins 28 April 2012], Kos, Mykonos, Nantes, Rhodes, Santorini-Thira, Zakynthos |
North |
| EasyJet | Almería, Athens, Berlin-Schönefeld, Bordeaux, Cologne/Bonn,
Copenhagen, Hamburg, Innsbruck, Lyon, Madrid, Marseille, Milan-Linate,
Milan-Malpensa, Montpellier, Munich, Nice, Palermo, Pisa,
Rome-Fiumicino, Seville, Thessaloniki, Toulouse, Venice-Marco Polo,
Vienna, Zürich Seasonal: Biarritz, Dubrovnik, Ibiza, La Rochelle, Minorca, Olbia, Split |
South |
| EasyJet Switzerland | Basel/Mulhouse, Geneva | North |
| Emirates | Dubai | North |
| Estonian Air | Tallinn | South |
| Fly Hellas | Heraklion, Larnaca, Rhodes, | South |
| Flybe | Aberdeen, Belfast-City, Guernsey, Inverness, Isle of Man, Jersey, Nantes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newquay Seasonal: Bergerac Charter: Chambéry |
South |
| Hi Fly | Georgetown, Mount Pleasant | South |
| Hong Kong Airlines | Hong Kong [begins 8 March 2012][144][145][146] | North |
| Iceland Express | Reykjavik-Keflavík | South |
| Jet2.com | Chartered Seasonal: Chambéry | South |
| Korean Air | Seoul-Incheon [begins 28 April 2012][147][148][149] | North |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt | South |
| Malév Hungarian Airlines | Budapest | North |
| Meridiana Fly operated by Air Italy | Florence | North |
| Monarch | Scheduled: Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Lanzarote, Málaga,
Milan-Malpensa [begins 25 March 2012], Minorca, Palma de Mallorca, Sharm
el Sheikh, Tenerife-South, Venice-Marco Polo [begins 25 March 2012] Scheduled Seasonal: Antalya [begins 3 May 2012], Bodrum, Dalaman, Dubrovnik [begins 1 May 2012], Heraklion [begins 1 May 2012], Ibiza, Larnaca, Paphos Chartered Seasonal: Banjul, Chania, Corfu, Goa, Grenada, Hassi Messaoud, Heraklion, Huesca, Innsbruck, Kefalonia, Kittilä, Kos, Lamezia Terme, Luxor, Malé, Mombasa, Montreal-Trudeau, Mytilene, Preveza, Rhodes, Skiathos, Sofia, Tobago, Volos, Zakynthos |
South |
| Norwegian Air Shuttle | Ålesund, Bergen, Copenhagen, Gothenburg-Landvetter [begins 29 March 2012],[150] Helsinki, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stavanger, Stockholm-Arlanda, Trondheim Scheduled Seasonal: Aalborg |
South |
| Nouvelair | Monastir | South |
| Pegasus Airlines | Seasonal: Antalya, Dalaman | South |
| Rossiya | St Petersburg | South |
| Ryanair | Alicante, Cork, Dublin, Kaunas, Madrid, Moss-Rygge, Seville, Shannon, Stockholm-Skavsta Seasonal: Rome-Ciampino |
South |
| SATA International | Ponta Delgada-João Paulo | South |
| Scandinavian Airlines | Bergen [ends 6 January 2012] | South |
| Sky Airlines | Seasonal charter: Antalya | South |
| Strategic Airlines | Corfu, Heraklion, Larnaca, Paphos, Rhodes, Skiathos, Thessaloniki, Zakynthos | South |
| Sun Country Airlines | Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul | South |
| Sunwing Airlines | Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson | North |
| TAP Portugal | Funchal, Lisbon, Porto | South |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | Antalya, Bodrum, Cancún, Calgary, Cayo Coco, Dalaman, Enfhida,
Fuerteventura, Holguín, Hurghada, Izmir, Lanzarote, Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria, Montego Bay, Paphos, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Sharm el-Sheikh,
Tenerife-South, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver Seasonal: Acapulco, Agadir, Almería, Banjul, Barbados, Brescia, Burgas, Corfu, Djerba, Edmonton, Faro, Geneva, Goa, Grenoble, Heraklion, Ibiza, Innsbruck, Lleida-Alguaire [begins 19 December], Kalamata, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Lemnos, Luxor, Malta, Minorca, Naples, Olbia, Orlando-Sanford, Ottawa, Palma de Mallorca, Preveza, Reus, Rhodes, Rovaniemi, Salzburg, Santorini, Skiathos, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Turin, Varadero, Zakynthos |
South |
| Thomson Airways | Agadir, Alicante, Antalya, Aswan, Banjul, Boa Vista, Cancún,
Dalaman, Fuerteventura, Funchal, Girona, Heraklion, Holguín, Lanzarote,
La Romana, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Liberia, Luxor, Málaga, Malé,
Malta, Marrakech, Marsa Alam, Mersa Matruh, Mombasa, Monastir, Montego
Bay, Orlando-Sanford, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Puerto Plata, Punta
Cana, Sal, Santa Cruz de la Palma, Sharm el-Sheikh, Taba,
Tenerife-South, Varadero Seasonal: Acapulco, Alghero, Aruba, Barbados, Bodrum, Burgas, Catania, Chania, Colombo, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Faro, Figari, Ibiza, İzmir, Kalamata, Kavala, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Minorca, Mykonos, Mytilene, Naples, Pisa, Plovdiv, Preveza, Pula, Reus, Rhodes, Samos, Samaná, Santorini, Skiathos, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Tivat, Venice-Marco Polo, Verona, Zakynthos |
North |
| Titan Airways | Seasonal Charter: Chambéry | South |
| Tor Air | Burgas, Chania, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Erbil, Friedrichshafen, Heraklion,
Kalamata, Kefalonia, Kos, Larnaca, Paphos, Preveza, Rhodes,
Sulaimaniya, Santorini, Sharm el-Sheikh, Skiathos, Stockholm-Arlanda,
Zakynthos Seasonal: Geneva [begins 10 December] |
South |
| Tunisair | Djerba, Enfidha, Monastir | South |
| Turkish Airlines | İstanbul-Atatürk [begins 20 December][151][152] | North |
| Ukraine International Airlines | Kiev-Boryspil | South |
| United Airways | Dhaka | South |
| US Airways | Charlotte | South |
| Vietnam Airlines | Hanoi [begins 9 December],[153][154] Ho Chi Minh City [begins 10 December][153][154] | North |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | Antigua, Barbados, Cancún [begins 12 June 2012],[155] Grenada, Havana, Kingston [ends 16 April 2012],[156][157] Las Vegas, Montego Bay, Orlando, St Lucia, Tobago | South |
Ground transport to London Airport Gatwick Taxi services
London Heathrow Airport Airlines and destinations
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations | Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Aegean Airlines | Athens, Larnaca | 1 |
| Aer Lingus | Belfast-International, Cork, Dublin, Shannon | 1 |
| Aeroflot | Moscow-Sheremetyevo | 4 |
| Air Algérie | Algiers | 4 |
| Air Astana | Almaty | 4 |
| Air Canada | Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montréal-Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver Seasonal: St. John's |
3 |
| Air China | Beijing-Capital | 3 |
| Air France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle | 4 |
| Air India | Delhi, Mumbai | 4 |
| Air Malta | Malta | 4 |
| Air Mauritius | Mauritius | 4 |
| Air New Zealand | Auckland, Hong Kong, Los Angeles | 1 |
| Air Seychelles | Mahé [ends 8 January] | 4 |
| Air Transat | Seasonal: Toronto-Pearson | 4 |
| Alitalia | Milan-Linate, Rome-Fiumicino | 4 |
| Alitalia operated by Air One | Rome-Fiumicino | 4 |
| All Nippon Airways | Tokyo-Narita | 3 |
| American Airlines | Boston, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York-JFK, Raleigh/Durham | 3 |
| Arik Air | Lagos | 4 |
| Asiana Airlines | Seoul-Incheon | 1 |
| Austrian Airlines | Vienna | 1 |
| Austrian Airlines operated by Tyrolean Airways | Vienna | 1 |
| Azerbaijan Airlines | Baku | 4 |
| Biman Bangladesh Airlines | Dhaka, Dubai | 4 |
| BMI | Addis Ababa, Agadir, Almaty, Amman-Queen Alia, Amritsar, Baku, Basel/Mulhouse, Beirut, Belfast-City, Berlin-Brandenburg [begins 3 June 2012], Berlin-Tegel [ends 2 June 2012], Bishkek, Cairo, Casablanca, Damascus, Dammam, Dublin, Edinburgh, Freetown, Jeddah, Khartoum, Manchester, Marrakech, Moscow-Domodedovo, Nice, Riyadh, Tbilisi, Tehran-Imam Khomeini, Tripoli [resumes 26 December], Vienna, Yerevan | 1 |
| BMI operated by BMI Regional | Aberdeen, Bergen, Edinburgh, Hanover, Manchester, Stavanger | 1 |
| British Airways | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Gibraltar, Helsinki, Larnaca, Lisbon, Prague, Singapore, Sydney, Vienna, Warsaw | 3 |
| British Airways | Aberdeen, Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Accra, Algiers [ends 24 March 2012], Amsterdam, Athens, Atlanta, Bahrain, Baltimore, Bangalore, Barcelona, Basel/Mulhouse, Beijing-Capital, Berlin-Brandenburg [Begins 3 June 2012], Berlin-Tegel [Ends 2 June 2012], Bologna [begins 29 April 2012], Boston, Brussels, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cairo, Calgary, Cape Town, Chennai, Chicago-O'Hare, Copenhagen, Dallas/Fort Worth, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Denver, Doha, Dubai, Düsseldorf, Edinburgh, Entebbe, Frankfurt, Geneva, Glasgow-International, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Grand Cayman, Hamburg, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Houston-Intercontinental, Hyderabad, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kiev-Boryspil, Kuwait, Lagos, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Luanda, Lusaka, Luxembourg, Lyon, Madrid, Manchester, Mexico City, Miami, Milan-Linate, Milan-Malpensa, Montréal-Trudeau, Moscow-Domodedovo, Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nairobi, Nassau, New York-JFK, Newark, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nice, Oslo-Gardermoen, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pisa, Providenciales, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Riyadh, Rome-Fiumicino, St Petersburg, San Diego, San Francisco, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai-Pudong, Sofia, Stockholm-Arlanda, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv, Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Toulouse, Vancouver, Venice, Washington-Dulles, Zürich | 5 |
| Brussels Airlines | Brussels | 1 |
| Bulgaria Air | Sofia | 4 |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong | 3 |
| China Airlines | Taipei-Taoyuan | 4 |
| China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai-Pudong | 4 |
| Continental Airlines | Houston-Intercontinental, Newark | 4 |
| Croatia Airlines | Zagreb Seasonal: Rijeka, Split |
1 |
| Cyprus Airways | Larnaca | 1 |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK | 4 |
| EgyptAir | Cairo, Luxor, Sharm el-Sheikh | 3 |
| El Al | Tel Aviv | 1 |
| Emirates | Dubai | 3 |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa | 3 |
| Etihad Airways | Abu Dhabi | 4 |
| EVA Air | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Taipei-Taoyuan | 3 |
| Finnair | Helsinki | 3 |
| Gulf Air | Bahrain | 4 |
| Iberia | Madrid | 3 |
| Icelandair | Reykjavik-Keflavík | 1 |
| Iran Air | Tehran-Imam Khomeini | 3 |
| Japan Airlines | Tokyo-Narita | 3 |
| Jat Airways | Belgrade | 4 |
| Jet Airways | Delhi, Mumbai | 4 |
| Kenya Airways | Nairobi | 4 |
| Kingfisher Airlines | Delhi, Mumbai | 4 |
| KLM | Amsterdam | 4 |
| KLM operated by KLM Cityhopper | Amsterdam | 4 |
| Korean Air | Seoul-Incheon | 4 |
| Kuwait Airways | Kuwait, New York-JFK | 4 |
| Libyan Arab Airlines | Tripoli | 4 |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Warsaw | 1 |
| Lufthansa | Cologne/Bonn [resumes 25 March 2012], Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich | 1 |
| Lufthansa operated by BMI | Cologne/Bonn [ends 25 March 2012] | 1 |
| Lufthansa Regional operated by Contact Air | Stuttgart | 1 |
| Malaysia Airlines | Kuala Lumpur | 4 |
| Middle East Airlines | Beirut | 3 |
| Oman Air | Muscat | 3 |
| Pakistan International Airlines | Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot | 3 |
| Qantas | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi [ends 25 March 2012][42], Hong Kong [ends 25 March 2012][42], Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney | 3 |
| Qatar Airways | Doha | 4 |
| Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca, Tangier | 4 |
| Royal Brunei Airlines | Bandar Seri Begawan, Dubai | 4 |
| Royal Jordanian | Amman-Queen Alia | 3 |
| Saudi Arabian Airlines | Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh | 4 |
| Scandinavian Airlines | Copenhagen, Gothenburg-Landvetter, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stavanger, Stockholm-Arlanda | 3 |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore | 3 |
| South African Airways | Cape Town, Johannesburg | 1 |
| SriLankan Airlines | Colombo, Malé, Zürich [resumes 23 December] [43] | 4 |
| Swiss International Air Lines | Geneva, Zürich | 1 |
| Syrian Air | Damascus | 4 |
| TAM Airlines | Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, São Paulo-Guarulhos | 1 |
| TAP Portugal | Lisbon, Funchal | 1 |
| TAROM | Bucharest-Otopeni | 4 |
| Thai Airways International | Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi | 3 |
| Transaero | Moscow-Domodedovo | 1 |
| Tunisair | Tunis | 4 |
| Turkish Airlines | Antalya, Istanbul-Atatürk | 3 |
| Turkmenistan Airlines | Ashgabat | 3 |
| United Airlines | Chicago-O'Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington-Dulles | 1 |
| US Airways | Philadelphia | 1 |
| Uzbekistan Airlines | Tashkent | 1 |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways | Accra, Boston, Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lagos, Los
Angeles, Miami, Nairobi, New York-JFK, Newark, San Francisco,
Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Tokyo-Narita, Washington-Dulles Seasonal: Cape Town, Chicago-O'Hare, Vancouver [begins 24 May 2012][44] |
3 |
| Vueling Airlines | A Coruña, Bilbao, Vigo | 3 |
Sunday 13 November 2011
Bus border checks 'lax since 2007'
Coach passengers were allowed into the UK without being properly checked by border staff for four years, it has been reported, in another blow for the under-fire Home Office.A relaxation quietly introduced under the last Labour administration to ease queues at the port of Dover in 2007 was only halted 10 days ago when senior border officials were suspended, the Sunday Telegraph said.
Officials checked only if passport photographs matched the bearers, the newspaper said, and did not cross-check against computer databases of suspected terrorists, criminals and immigration offenders.
The extent of the watering down of security, such as whether it applied to other ports and was only employed at peak periods, remains unclear but the number of arrivals involved was estimated to be in the millions.
A Home Office spokesman said he was unable to discuss the claims because of the ongoing inquiry into unauthorised relaxations of controls, in what appeared to be an indication that they formed part of the probe.
But MPs will seek more information on Tuesday when the Home Affairs Committee questions Brodie Clark, the former head of the UK Border Force who quit his post amid an acrimonious dispute with Home Secretary Theresa May.
Mr Clark was suspended last week by UK Border Agency chief Rob Whiteman, who says he admitted allowing border staff to relax checks beyond the extent of a pilot scheme authorised by Mrs May.
He denies exceeding his authority and has left his post to pursue a claim of constructive dismissal.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Nothing is more important than the integrity of our border in order to protect national security and reduce and control immigration. There are ongoing investigations into allegations regarding the relaxation of border controls without ministerial approval."
Security checks at Heathrow airport were also watered down during a two-day strike by immigration officers in October last year, it was reported. The Home Office said: "UKBA ensured additional trained staff authorised to carry out all necessary checks were in place at the border during the strike last year."
Thursday 10 November 2011
Airport border control 'at breaking point'
Sophy Ridge, political correspondent | Sky News
A whistleblower who works at Heathrow Airport has told Sky News the system is at breaking point. The immigration officer said it is "frightening" how many people slip through the net and exposed a culture of deceit where employees are bussed in when politicians visit to give the impression of more staff.
He told Sky News he feels security has been "compromised" because of pressure over queues.
The whistleblower, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We've operated a light touch over the summer for the past couple of years.
"It was never meant as an intelligence-led way of improving security. It's all about the queues."
Home Secretary Theresa May is fighting for her political reputation after it emerged checks on people entering the UK were secretly relaxed over the summer.
She has blamed the former head of the UK border force Brodie Clark for acting without ministerial approval.
Mrs May approved relaxing certain checks on passengers within the EU but accused Mr Clark of going much further.
The Government's pilot aims to deploy resources more effectively by using intelligence-led risk assessments.
But the Terminal 3 worker strongly disputes any suggestion that the looser checks he has witnessed are a better use of resources.
He said: "It's just a way of trying to get people through passport control quickly. It only saves 30 seconds per person, but that adds up to a lot.
"We would only use light touch checks when there were big queues - from around 2.30pm onwards over the summer months.
"For instance, if there was a big flight arriving from Pakistan.
"It makes us very angry because that's the very time when we should be taking time and asking questions.
"But the truth is, there's not enough staff. We can't cope with the number of people.
"There's only five or six of us and we have the worst of the queues at Terminal 3."
The whistleblower does not believe Mrs May was aware of what happened or that she ordered the relaxing of the controls.
He said: "I think Theresa May has been misled by Brodie Clark. He never implemented what she thought. But he may not have been aware of what was happening on the front line either."
But he also has concerns over aspects of the pilot ordered by Mrs May, in particular the flexibility over relaxing checks on children.
He said: "Operating a light touch with children is serious. It's very dangerous.
"If there's a family with four children in tow coming off a long-haul flight, one of those children could have easily been slipped in with that family."
Sky News has asked Heathrow airport if it would like to comment on the whistleblower's claims but it has yet to reply.
A whistleblower who works at Heathrow Airport has told Sky News the system is at breaking point. The immigration officer said it is "frightening" how many people slip through the net and exposed a culture of deceit where employees are bussed in when politicians visit to give the impression of more staff.
He told Sky News he feels security has been "compromised" because of pressure over queues.
The whistleblower, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We've operated a light touch over the summer for the past couple of years.
"It was never meant as an intelligence-led way of improving security. It's all about the queues."
Home Secretary Theresa May is fighting for her political reputation after it emerged checks on people entering the UK were secretly relaxed over the summer.
She has blamed the former head of the UK border force Brodie Clark for acting without ministerial approval.
Mrs May approved relaxing certain checks on passengers within the EU but accused Mr Clark of going much further.
The Government's pilot aims to deploy resources more effectively by using intelligence-led risk assessments.
But the Terminal 3 worker strongly disputes any suggestion that the looser checks he has witnessed are a better use of resources.
He said: "It's just a way of trying to get people through passport control quickly. It only saves 30 seconds per person, but that adds up to a lot.
"We would only use light touch checks when there were big queues - from around 2.30pm onwards over the summer months.
"For instance, if there was a big flight arriving from Pakistan.
"It makes us very angry because that's the very time when we should be taking time and asking questions.
"But the truth is, there's not enough staff. We can't cope with the number of people.
"There's only five or six of us and we have the worst of the queues at Terminal 3."
The whistleblower does not believe Mrs May was aware of what happened or that she ordered the relaxing of the controls.
He said: "I think Theresa May has been misled by Brodie Clark. He never implemented what she thought. But he may not have been aware of what was happening on the front line either."
But he also has concerns over aspects of the pilot ordered by Mrs May, in particular the flexibility over relaxing checks on children.
He said: "Operating a light touch with children is serious. It's very dangerous.
"If there's a family with four children in tow coming off a long-haul flight, one of those children could have easily been slipped in with that family."
Sky News has asked Heathrow airport if it would like to comment on the whistleblower's claims but it has yet to reply.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
'Months' before the Somerset crash cause is known
It may be weeks before police know what caused the M5 pile-up in which seven people were killed, the Transport Secretary has said.
Justine Greening told MPs a total of 37 vehicles were involved in the Friday night horror crash that left seven dead and 51 injured.
Making a Commons statement on the tragedy, she said: "Given the large number of vehicles involved, the need to carefully look at those vehicles recovered and to talk to many of the witnesses, it may be some weeks until the investigation can conclude on any cause or causes of this incident."
Avon and Somerset Police are investigating whether the crash happened as smoke from a rugby club fireworks display drifted on to the M5, affecting drivers' visibility and concentration. Officers are conducting a criminal investigation.
Elderly couple Anthony and Pamela Adams, from Newport, south Wales, were among those killed in the smash.
Lorry driver Terry Brice, from Bristol, was also named as one of the victims, as was Malcolm Beacham, from Woolavington in Somerset.
The crash also left a young woman in a coma and her wheelchair-bound father and sister dead.
Emma Barton, believed to be 19, was said to have been travelling in a car with her boyfriend Christopher Burbull, father Michael and sister Maggie, when they were caught up in the chaos.
The seventh victim was named as Kye Thomas, 38, from Gunnislake, Cornwall.
Ms Greening told MPs: "While Avon and Somerset Police have indicated the presence of smoke on the carriageway is a significant line of inquiry, Assistant Chief Constable (Anthony) Bangham has been clear to me that, in his words to me early today, 'it is far too early to jump to conclusions on the causal factors of this incident'."
Number let into UK unchecked 'not known'
Travel to Heathrow and Gatwick Airport
Home Secretary Theresa May has admitted she relaxed border controls at all UK ports during the peak summer period.
But senior officials at the UK's border force went even further, scrapping key checks against a Home Office database without ministerial approval.
The number of suspected terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants who entered the country as a result of the move will never be known, Mrs May said.
Three staff, including the head of the UK border force Brodie Clark, have been suspended and those responsible will be punished "to make sure that border force officials can never take such risks with border security again", she said.
"As a result of these unauthorised actions, we will never know how many people entered the country who should have been prevented from doing so after being flagged by the warnings index."
Mr Clark confirmed he had gone further than the pilot scheme allowed when John Vine, the independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), raised concerns last week, she said.
Biometric checks on European nationals and checks against the Home Office database on children from the European Economic Area (EEA) "were abandoned on a regular basis, without ministerial approval", Mrs May said.
Adults were not checked against the database at Calais and the fingerprints of non-European nationals from countries that require a visa were stopped, all without ministerial approval, she said.
"I did not give my consent or authorisation for any of these decisions," Mrs May told MPs.
"Indeed I told officials explicitly that the pilot was to go no further than we had agreed."
But senior officials at the UK's border force went even further, scrapping key checks against a Home Office database without ministerial approval.
The number of suspected terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants who entered the country as a result of the move will never be known, Mrs May said.
Three staff, including the head of the UK border force Brodie Clark, have been suspended and those responsible will be punished "to make sure that border force officials can never take such risks with border security again", she said.
"As a result of these unauthorised actions, we will never know how many people entered the country who should have been prevented from doing so after being flagged by the warnings index."
Mr Clark confirmed he had gone further than the pilot scheme allowed when John Vine, the independent chief inspector of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), raised concerns last week, she said.
Biometric checks on European nationals and checks against the Home Office database on children from the European Economic Area (EEA) "were abandoned on a regular basis, without ministerial approval", Mrs May said.
Adults were not checked against the database at Calais and the fingerprints of non-European nationals from countries that require a visa were stopped, all without ministerial approval, she said.
"I did not give my consent or authorisation for any of these decisions," Mrs May told MPs.
"Indeed I told officials explicitly that the pilot was to go no further than we had agreed."
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