An independent report has condemned the UK Border Agency for the way it operates at some of the country’s major airports and ports. Chief inspector of the agency, John Vine, said he was concerned that threats at smaller sea ports and airports had not been reviewed for three years. He added that too much concentration of manpower was being expended at passport control at the possible detriment to detecting illicit goods and drugs.

Vine also expressed concerns over potential threats in Northern Ireland and Scotland. He said the agency was working on intelligence that was in some cases over two years out of date when checking those entering the UK via Ireland.

Mr Vine did say that it was encouraging to see a high level of commitment from officers deployed on the frontline to detecting illicit goods. He praised the way in which they used local knowledge and shared this knowledge.

He was however surprised that there had been no seizures from containers made at any of the ports he visited over a 14-month period from 2009 to 2010.

Damian Green, minister for UK immigration, said that the government was keen to improve border security and reform the immigration system. He added that a number of improvements were currently being made and that the agency was already working a lot more closely with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and the police. Mr Green went on to say that in the last year in Northern Ireland and Scotland 100kg of drugs had been kept off the streets and hundreds of people had been prevented from entering illegally.