A “nationwide issue” with e-gates at airports has been resolved after causing travel chaos across the country, the Home Office has said.
It said the system was back up and running and there was “no indication of malicious cyber activity”.
Social media images and footage showed long queues at the passport scanning gates at several airports overnight.
Passengers also reported being held on planes after they landed, while others said the delays caused them to miss trains.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports were affected, as well as Manchester, Bristol and Southampton, along with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
One passenger at Stansted Airport told Sky News they had missed several coaches to central London because of the issues, and only cleared the airport after nearly three hours in line.
“Not much info given. No water handed out. Babies crying,” they said.
Another at Luton Airport said it took around 80 minutes from leaving their flight from Amsterdam to get through border control.
One traveller said they were held on their plane at Stansted for around an hour and a half after landing.
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“We weren’t told much other than the e-gates were down but had no idea how long it would take,” they told Sky News.
“After that not much was said other than we couldn’t disembark till the other five planes ahead of us did.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “E-gates at UK airports came back online shortly after midnight.
“As soon as engineers detected a wider system network issue at 7.44pm last night, a large-scale contingency response was activated within six minutes.
“At no point was border security compromised, and there is no indication of malicious cyber activity.”
E-gate system crashed last year
The disruption came after Border Force workers staged a four-day strike at Heathrow Airport in a dispute over working conditions last week.
The union said workers were protesting against plans to introduce new rosters, which they claim will see around 250 of them forced out of their jobs at passport control.
The UK’s e-gates system also crashed in May last year, causing long queues and several hours of delays for passengers.
At the time travel expert Paul Charles told Sky News underinvestment in the UK’s transport infrastructure had left these systems “hanging by a thread”.
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A woman has suffered life-changing injuries after being stabbed by a member of the public at the accident and emergency department where she was working.
The victim – believed to be a nurse in her 50s – was attacked at Royal Oldham Hospital in Greater Manchester, where she is now being treated.
It is understood she was injured with a bladed article or a sharp instrument – and not by a knife.
Officers were called at 11.30pm on Saturday.
A 37-year-old man is in custody after being “swiftly arrested at the scene” on suspicion of attempted murder, Greater Manchester Police said.
Detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and say there is no threat to the wider public.
Jim McMahon, the Labour MP for the area, described it as a “senseless attack”.
He posted on Facebook: “We are all shocked at the senseless attack on a nurse in the A&E department of the Royal Oldham Hospital.
“Our thoughts are with the nurse, family and friends as we wish a full recovery.”
Detective Sergeant Craig Roters said it was a “serious incident which has left a woman in a critical condition”.
The victim’s family and colleagues will be supported, he added.
The local community can expect to see an “increase in police presence” while enquiries are carried out, Mr Roters said.
“We know that news of this nature will come as a shock, and if you have any concerns or anything you would like to share, please speak to [officers].”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Timesthe properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.