An enquiry is under way after it emerged that UK Border Agency staff at Heathrow were told not to look for drugs over Christmas as they were too short staffed.
An email circulated to staff the day before Christmas Eve said they should “not actively seek to identify any passenger with internal concealments” as they would then have to work a 24-hour shift to guard such passengers.
The email said: “We would seek your co-operation in managing this situation by asking that you do not actively seek to identify any passenger with internal concealments for three days up to and including Christmas Day.”
UK Border Agency senior detection manager Mark Kennedy admitted the email had been sent and apologised.
