Brodie Clark says he ‘should have checked what May knew’
16.11.11
Ex-UK border force head Brodie Clark says he is ‘surprised’ ministers were unaware biometric fingerprint passport checks had been relaxed at Heathrow. Mr Clark was suspended after claims he eased passport checks at UK borders beyond what Home Secretary Theresa May had agreed to in a trial. He told BBC Radio 4's Today that, with hindsight, he should have checked ‘more thoroughly’ what Mrs May knew.
Mr Clark told MPs yesterday that he did not ignore government policy. Addressing MPs on the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Mr Clark said he was ‘no rogue officer’. Mr Clark stepped down after the relaxation of border checks was revealed, saying his position had been made ‘untenable’.
Speaking to the Today programme Mr Clark said he found out earlier this year that staff at the airport had not always carried out fingerprint checks when it was very busy. He said he thought that was a sensible practice - and he did not inform ministers.
He told the programme he expected ministers would have been aware that guidelines drawn up in 2007 allowed the relaxation of some checks for health and safety reasons when queues were becoming dangerously long. However, the 2007 guidance does not permit the relaxation of fingerprint checks - it only allows border staff to forgo checks on passengers from the European Economic Area against the warnings index of terrorists and criminals when queues become dangerously long.
The former border chief admitted that he had ‘no evidence’ that ministers knew fingerprint checks had been relaxed. He said: ‘Perhaps I should have more thoroughly checked what the home secretary knew or did not know,’ but added: ‘I didn't think for a minute they would object under those circumstances.’ Mrs May said she had not permitted scaling back fingerprint checks.
To book heathrow airport hotels or heathrow airport parking at the lowest price, click on these links to two great heathrow airport car parking and heathrow airport hotel price comparison page.
