Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the Chief Inspector’s Inspection report on e-Borders said:

“It is now clear that in the last three years the e-Borders programme has ground to a halt causing serious failures in border security.

“Theresa May needs to sort out the catalogue of chaos at border control. She needs to stop drug smuggling information being deleted and get the proper border controls in place, rather than relying on divisive gimmicks like ad vans instead.

“The Home Secretary must urgently explain why hundreds of thousands of possible drug smuggling records were deleted in 2012 without having ever been read. John Vine has said this meant UKBA couldn’t stop this illegal smuggling. It is an outrage that drug smugglers have been able to get away with it because basic information was never acted on.

“The Home Secretary also needs to get a grip of the contract. The Government cancelled the old contract in 2010, but 3 years on there is still no new contract in place.

"And it is unacceptable that the Home Office will not provide any information about the sections of the report that have been redacted. Two of the top three recommendations have been redacted. The Inspectorate should be able to provide confidential briefings to the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Opposition - otherwise how can Parliament be assured that redactions are not being used to hide serious failings.”