Thousands of travellers packed into the west London airport on Friday, with reports of people waiting several hours to get through passport controls. The Home Office, which is responsible for Border Force, has admitted the situation is “unacceptable” and promised action.

       Friday night saw the worst scenes, with reports of passengers being taken ill during the queue.

       Photographs posted on social media showed large number of people crammed together, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

       A number of travellers expressed their frustration on Twitter and other social media sites.

       One wrote: “There are people collapsing in Terminal 5 Arrivals due to overcrowding and no ventilation. Some Covid secure measures.”