Thousands of Scots have had their summer holiday plans plunged into chaos over a “mountain” of unprocessed passport applications.
The Home Office is understood to have put up to 4000 applications for the travel document from several months ago to the back of the queue – processing new applications first. The Daily Record has heard from scores of Scots who believe their passport applications were lost in a black hole.
Hundreds have been turning up at the Passport Office in Glasgow to desperately seek a last minute answer to their prayers, with some taking suitcases ahead of flights on the same day.
Phil Lennon travelled to Glasgow’s Passport Office, at Northgate, with daughter Ellie, 15, after months of pleading for help. Contracts manager Phil, 43, from Wishaw, applied for passports for himself, Ellie and partner Michelle Gray, 43, in February.
Their flight to Menorca departs from Newcastle on Thursday morning.
The Daily Record listened as Phil called a helpline - and was told Ellie’s passport was being held “in examination” in Glasgow - yards from where they were standing - but it could take ten weeks for it to be authorised.
Meanwhile, his own passport was sent to be processed in Durham and Michelle’s was sent to Newport in Wales. Incredibly, Phil and Michelle paid £169 each to fast-track their applications in February.
Their applications were then lost and no refunds were given.
Phil said: “You couldn’t make this up. We have spent two hours a day for weeks on end trying to get some progress and we kept getting told it’s getting sorted - but nothing does.
“Our only hope now is that a sensible person in Glasgow will issue Ellie’s passport and I can either get mine couriered from Durham or go to that office tomorrow (Wednesday) and pick it up.
“The whole experience has been stressful and exhausting and it’s hard to imagine that it could have been worse handled. It’s very frustrating to see people who apply in May and June get sorted out within the ten weeks the Passport Office promises.
“For the people who applied in good time there most certainly is a black hole, which is wrecking our summer holiday.”
Ellie suffers from scoliosis, a curving of the spine, and will soon undergo an operation.
She said: “I haven’t been abroad for three years and I’ve been looking forward to this, as I will be unable to travel again for another year. It just doesn’t seem fair to be treated like this.”
The family holiday was saved at the 11th hour after the Passport Office relented.
Simon Park was another stressed out member of the queue - hoping desperately to get a last minute passport for 14-year-old daughter Grace.
They are among a family group of 18 people, who have shelled out more than £40,000 for a trip to Mexico to celebrate Simon’s 50th birthday and mark other family milestones. The family was only able to fly out on Wednesday after Simon spent two days in the last gasp queue.
Simon said: “We have to get to Edinburgh Airport for 9am, so this is our very last chance. It has been a disaster from start to finish and I spent four hours in this same queue on Monday only to be told to come back today.
“I don’t blame the staff here - they’re almost as stressed out as the punters in the queue and it’s not fair on them.”
Simon said he has tried to pre-pay for an express one-day passport after being lucky enough to get a gold-dust appointment - but the money had not been taken from his account.
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