Passport workers strike over pay

Staff at seven of Britain's regional p[assport offices have gone on strike in a protest over pay and cutbacks within the passport office.

The initial three day stopage comes at the start of the main holiday season in England as thousands of people look to escape the bad summer weather.

It is estimated that the stopage may delay the processing of over 50,000 passports. The strike also affects the interview offices as staff at these locations have also joined the dispute.

Long serving staff have not received a pay increase for five years running and the government is also making cuts within the service. This is despite the high cost of obtaining a passport.

The seven regional offices affected are London, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Peterborough, Newport and Durham.

If you have just discovered your passport is out of date and you are due to go on holiday, you may experience problems getting your passport renewed.

If you need a passport in an emergency all IPS regional office counters will remain open and are able to issue passports for those in emergency situations or with urgent needs.