Will the Border Force strike at Heathrow affect departures?

Simon Calder answers your questions on walkouts, what is required for children to travel with non-parental adults, and the tricky 10-year passport rule

Queues are far more likely to form for inbound travellers than for departures (Natasha Porter)

Q You reported that UK Border Force staff will strike at Heathrow airport for four days from Thursday 11 April. We are due to fly out that day. Will the strike have an impact on departures?

Sally L

A More than 600 members of the PCS union who work for UK Border Force at Heathrow voted by a margin of 9-1 in favour of industrial action in a dispute over a new rostering system. A strike has now been called for 11-14 April inclusive, which will be the peak four days at the end of the holidays for many schools. The PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “If the government is serious about border security, it should look at Border Force officers’ job security, look after its staff, scrap the changes and work with us to protect jobs and working conditions.”