Tourists hit by airport delays longer than their flights amid tougher EU border controls

Passengers have been forced to wait in queues for up to 4 hours - longer than some of their flights - after arriving at airports popular with British tourists. The delays are reportedly being caused by the introduction of newly-toughened and more time consuming immigration checks. The problem - at what is traditionally already the busiest time of the year for flights - is being made worse by a lack of border officials on the continent, it is claimed. An association representing airlines said queues stretching for "hundreds of metres" are in some cases causing passengers to miss their flights. Airlines UK said it had warned the Department for Transport about the problem in May, although they were told by ministers the issue had eased. <br/>