A warning has been issued to holidaymakers using a trick to avoid passport delays.
The backlog at Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) has been well documented as people have been faced with long delays to renew their documents. HMPO introduced rules in the wake of the post-pandemic spike in demand so holidaymakers can pay an extra £102 to upgrade their application if they can prove they need to use the passport within two weeks.
Some people have been booking cheap one way flights they don't want to use to exploit this rule in a bid to beat the queue. However, a travel expert who runs the Independent Passport Waiting Time website warned officials are "getting wise" to the ruse.
