Passport chaos hits trip pupils

A GROUP of 70 children from a special school may have to cancel a dream trip to Disneyland because 10 children and three members of staff are victims of chaos at the Passport Office.

The group, from Pendower Hall Special School, Newcastle, were due to leave on Tuesday. Head teacher Chris Coady said: "It is in the balance. The worst case scenario would be that we would have to leave some of the children behind."

The group are among 250,000 people whose applications for passports have been delayed. The backlog built up when a new pounds 120million computer system failed - at the same time as a new ruling that children must have their own passports.

Phone applications are not being answered and a recorded message warns of eight-week delays. The office has taken on 300 extra staff to try to cope. People have been queueing round the clock at the Liverpool passport HQ.

One night this week, 3,000 people queued all night. Lib-Dem spokesman Alan Beith said: "This is a disgraceful failure by a Government agency."

But Passport Office chief executive David Gatenby said: "Staff are working very hard and very long hours to deal with urgent travel needs."

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