By SAM LAWLEY, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 05:37 EDT, 14 April 2026 | Updated: 07:17 EDT, 14 April 2026

Eleven Metropolitan Police officers are being probed over their handling of a road crash that killed two schoolgirls – including ‘whether their treatment of those affected was influenced by their race’. 

Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, died when a Land Rover Defender smashed through a fence into their south-west London primary school in July 2023. 

Claire Freemantle, the 48-year-old driver of the vehicle, never faced a charge from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) because she suffered an undiagnosed epileptic seizure – and had no recollection of the crash. 

But four serving police officers and one former detective constable are now under probe for possible gross misconduct over their handling of an investigation into the crash.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its inquiry will examine allegations that officers ‘provided false and misleading information to those affected’. 

It is also investigating whether ‘officers’ treatment of those affected was influenced by their race’. The IOPC said previously that it was ‘unconvinced that the investigation was conducted thoroughly.

The ranks of the four serving officers under investigation are commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant and detective constable. Two detectives are also being investigated at misconduct level. 

Nuria and Selena had been enjoying an end-of-the-year tea party at their Study Prep school when the Land Rover veered off-road on July 6, 2023. 

Ms Freemantle, who expressed her ‘deepest sorrow’, was arrested on the day of the incident but prosecutors later decided not to bring criminal charges. 

However the Met reopened its investigation into the crash in October 2024 following an internal review, with Ms Freemantle re-arrested in January of this year.

She is currently on bail and, according to a police statement upon her re-arrest, will report to a police station later this month.

The CPS confirmed it has received a full file of evidence from the Met and sought legal advice this week, though further factors need to be considered before a decision is made on whether a charge can be brought.  

Prosecutors wrote to the victims’ families on Friday to say they expected to be able to announce whether or not they had reached a charging decision by the end of April. The families are due to meet with the CPS on Tuesday for an update.

The Met said it supports an independent investigation into the fatal collision.

In an interview with the BBC, Nuria Sajjad’s parents – Smera Chohan and Sajjad Butt – said the Met had ‘failed them’. 

Ms Chohan, Nuria’s mother, said: ‘I hope the IOPC will cover that. I really want to understand why I have been treated so cruelly, unfairly and in an inhumane way. 

‘I would like the keepers of law, of the system, to come and tell me. I am not asking for any favouritism, any leeway or any sympathy. 

‘I’m just saying, “do it right”. It’s been left hanging for three years and that isn’t right’.

Ms Chohan is facing a fifth surgery on her legs after suffering injuries in the same crash which killed her daughter.

Mr Butt, Nuria’s father, said he and his family have ‘not been protected’ and ‘left out in the cold’ by the police force. 

The families of both Nuria and Selena said their lives have been ‘irreparably shattered’ in a statement released on Tuesday. 

It read: ‘The past 33 months have been incredibly difficult for everyone affected including those who lost family, were seriously injured or witnessed the horrific incident, and we are still trying to come to terms with what happened on that fateful day.

‘We have always maintained that the initial investigation was flawed. When the Crown Prosecution Service took the decision for no further action against the driver on the 26th of June 2024, we asserted that the original investigation was poor, and we were unconvinced that the investigation was conducted thoroughly.

‘We are encouraged that the Independent Office of Police Conduct have opened an inquiry. We have always sought the truth, and will continue to champion the pursuit of complete clarity on the events of that devastating day and subsequent actions taken by the Metropolitan Police ‘The truth must come to light.’

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said of its investigation: ‘We are investigating complaints made against 11 Met Police officers over their handling of the initial investigation into the road traffic incident, in which the two children sadly died and multiple other people were injured at The Study Preparatory School in Wimbledon.’

‘The complaints relate to concerns about the standard of the investigation, including its management and direction, the conduct of the investigation team, and their engagement with the victims.

‘We are also investigating allegations that Met officers provided false and misleading information to those affected and whether the officers’ treatment of those affected was influenced by their race.

‘We have now served notices advising four serving officers, whose ranks are commander, detective chief inspector, detective sergeant and detective constable, and a former detective inspector, that their conduct is being investigated at the level of gross misconduct.

‘Two detective constables are being investigated at misconduct level. Our investigation is ongoing and should any further conduct issues be identified then officers will be served notices.

‘All officers served notices will be interviewed in due course. The serving of notices does not mean that proceedings will necessarily follow.’

A statement from the Crown Prosecution Service read: ‘After careful consideration of all the evidence and material provided by the police as part of this reinvestigation, and upon receipt of advice from counsel on 7 April, we have concluded that there are some further factors we must consider before a decision on charge can be reached.

‘We appreciate the ongoing distress any delay may cause and are committed to making a final decision as soon as possible.

‘Our thoughts remain with the families of Nuria and Selena and all those impacted by this tragic incident.’

The Met Police confirmed it is fully in support of the investigation.  

Commander Charmain Brenyah, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Nuria and Selena’s families, as well as everyone who has been impacted by this terrible tragedy. We understand this prolonged process has compounded their grief and suffering.

‘It is right that our initial handling of this incident be independently scrutinised, and we will provide every assistance to the IOPC as their investigation continues.’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s four-day quasi-royal tour of Australia is underway with trips to a children’s hospital to meet cancer patients before Meghan served frittata at a homeless shelter.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they were delighted to be Down Under as they landed early on Tuesday aboard a business class Qantas flight from Los Angeles – but Lilibet and Archie have stayed at home.

A large crowd gathered at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for Harry and Meghan’s first official event today. Although one parent there admitted: ‘I didn’t even know they were coming, so I would wonder why they are actually here’.

A group of about 70 staff, parents and young patients waited in the hospital atrium for the couple, who excitedly met the crowd and then visited Adolescent Oncology and Rehabilitation ward before taking part in a garden therapy session.

In a series of royal-style events, Meghan then went on a solo visit to a nearby homeless and domestic violence shelter where she served food to residents.

And the Sussexes went together to the National Veterans Arts Museum for a family craft session. When asked if they had a message for the Australian public, Harry said it was ‘great’ to be there, adding: ‘Thanks for having us back’.

Harry and Meghan’s last visit to Australia was an official royal tour just after their 2018 wedding.

The couple insist their 2026 trip is ‘privately-funded’ but there is some disquiet because Australian taxpayers are due to foot the bill for some police security. Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition demanding the Sussexes cover all the costs themselves.

One critic accused them of treating Australia ‘like an ATM’ because the country had been ‘good to them’ when they were working royals.

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson said today: ‘Victoria Police are there to provide security and safety for Victorians. So any suggestion that officers are going to be pulled off duty to provide security and protection for Harry and Meghan’s visit is absolutely unacceptable.’

Libertarian MP David Limbrick added: ‘If people want to spend thousands of dollars on former royals, that’s fine. But Victorian taxpayers should not be on the hook to provide the security of millionaires.’

The four-day trip will also see Harry and Meghan attend an Invictus Australia event in Sydney before Meghan stars at the ‘Her Best Life’ retreat at nearby Coogee Beach.

Tickets for the weekend cost up to $3,199 AUD (£1,400) and including a chance to have a photo with the Duchess and ask her questions at a gala dinner in a 5-star hotel. Meghan’s fee has been described as a ‘fat one’, and is apparently in the region of $250,000.

Harry is the star speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne on Thursday, where tickets range from £525 to £1,250 with a ‘virtual ticket’  for Harry’s speech costing costing £260 alone.

The couple’s itinerary will include charity and business events in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. 

There will apparently be no walkabouts to meet the public.

It is not known how much Prince Harry and Meghan are being paid for their commercial events. But as they landed in the city, Melburnian Andrew Bridge said today that the couple’s trip Down Under was clearly about ‘self-promotion’. 

The  Sydney Morning Herald said yesterday: ‘Australia was good to Harry and Meghan. Now they want to use us as an ATM’.

After arriving in Australia this morning, the couple spoke to children and posed for photographs outside the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne amid surprise from locals. 

One parent, Pina Roberts, told the Daily Mail: ‘I just came here and was like, what is going on?’ Anything that acknowledges us (patients and parents at the hospital) is good thing.

‘But I didn’t even know they were coming, so I would wonder why they are actually here.’

Four-year-old patient Lily held up a hand-drawn sign that said: ‘Welcome Harry and Meghan’. She presented a flower to the duchess as they arrived.

Meghan hugged Lily after being presented with the gifts and told her: ‘Oh my gosh, this is so sweet. I love it.’

After being shown Lily’s sign, Harry said: ‘Nice to meet you, Lily. That’s beautiful. How long did it take?’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took part in a garden therapy session with patients at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, smelling plants and flowers.

Asked if he would like to take some gumtree home, Harry, wearing a navy jacket, white shirt and metal bracelets, joked: ‘I would, but I think I’d probably get arrested at some point.’

Meghan, wearing a Karen Gee navy sleeveless dress, asked the patients: ‘Do you find that different stories and memories come out that you weren’t expecting?’

The couple visited wards at the hospital and met patients with eating disorders.

Following the Royal Children’s Hospital visit, the Duchess of Sussex visited a women’s refuge in Melbourne.

Meghan donned an apron and served frittata to people at the centre, run by McAuley Community Services for Women, which supports women and children experiencing family violence, homelessness and related challenges.

After serving several people, the duchess asked ‘is anyone else hungry?’, while looking and smiling at the press and other people gathered in the centre.

Meghan then sat down at a table and joined people eating food, telling them: ‘We landed here this morning so my jet lag hasn’t quite hit yet.’

The centre provides round-the-clock crisis accommodation, refuge services and longer-term housing, alongside programmes focused on recovery, wellbeing and independence.

While greeting crowds at the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Duke of Sussex hugged Christina Parkes, who works as an academic at the University of Melbourne.

Ms Parkes, whose 13-year-old daughter Adelaide is a patient at the hospital, said it ‘means an enormous amount’ to have the couple visit Australia.

Speaking before Harry and Meghan arrived, Ms Parkes told the Press Association: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to see the couple. Harry’s grandmother actually opened the hospital originally, and her portrait and his grandfather’s portrait are in the hallway.’

Asked what she would say to the couple, she said: ‘Welcome to Australia, we hope they enjoy their time here.

‘Thank you for taking the time to visit the hospital and see the work that the doctors and nurses are doing.

‘I cannot overstate how important the work is that they do here at the children’s hospital because my daughter wouldn’t be here without them.’

Найбільше кредитних коштів за цей період отримали за такими напрямами: кредитування у зоні високого воєнного ризику — 15,2 млрд грн; розвиток переробної промисловості — 11,2 млрд грн; інвестиційні проєкти — 6,4 млрд грн.

Найпомітніше зростання за сумою виданих кредитів протягом тижня зафіксовано у кредитах ЗВВР (+1,31 млрд грн). Це 29% усіх нових кредитних коштів, виданих за програмою за минулий тиждень.

Від початку чинності програми (лютий 2020 року) підприємці отримали 144,5 тис. кредитів на суму понад 504,6 млрд грн. З них у період воєнного стану — 109,7 тис. кредитів на 414,9 млрд грн.

До десятка лідерів за кількістю взятих кредитів входять чотири регіони, що належать до зон високого воєнного ризику: Дніпропетровська, Одеська, Київська, Харківська області.

Найбільші обсяги кредитування залучили підприємства в аграрному секторі, гуртовій та роздрібній торгівлі, переробній промисловості, повідомляє Мінекономіки.

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and CANDACE SUTTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA and KARLEIGH SMITH IN MELBOURNE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Updated: 00:38 EDT, 14 April 2026

A campaigner was ‘gob-smacked’ after successfully fighting for the council to protect her village with coastal defences, only to find they don’t cover her home – which will likely be demolished.

Sophie Marple, 55, has lived in Thorpeness, Suffolk, for more than 20 years, and watched as 11 local properties had to be knocked down in January, as they were about to fall into the sea.

She fundraised and lobbied alongside fellow residents for defences, hoping to secure the future of her property and others along the coast.

Villagers themselves paid £250,000 for temporary rock bags along the beach, and East Suffolk Council announced earlier this year that it would contribute £300,000 towards further protection.

But Ms Marple was shocked to learn that the rock barrier stops just short of her and her neighbour, Meg Walker, while covering a plot of empty land.

Ms Marple told the Daily Mail: ‘It is absolutely unjust.

‘We are all facing the same erosion and the same risk so to say that we don’t count and demolition is the only option has left me gob-smacked.

‘I’m not asking for any preferential treatment – the reality is this is a national problem.

‘It is being pushed onto the homeowner. We’ve raised money for our own defences, had our own surveys carried out.

‘The council just say crack on. They haven’t got the money or the people with the expertise to give advice – the only thing they’ve done is offer to cover the cost of demolition.’

Erosion has stolen 27 metres of cliff in the past year in Thorpeness, with the fence at the back of Ms Marple’s property now just three metres from the cliff edge.

The mum-of-two rebuilt her dream home 12 years ago following a significant erosion event, during which the council and community worked together to install defences.

Ms Marple said that gave her hope the property would be protected over time, and she even convened villagers as the years went on to fight for more support.

She said: ‘Thorpeness is a very beautiful, historic and magical place.

‘There’s always a risk when you buy a house that’s sea-facing, but it was an absolute dream of mine.

‘After the erosion event, we had the hope we would be able to work together with the council again.

‘We made the decision to invest our time, energy, and emotion into building this house.’

Rock bags have been laid along around 100 metres of coastline being rapidly eroded, but Ms Marple and her neighbour’s properties do not fall within that.

The protection scheme costs £550,000 in total – a combination of £300,000 from the council’s budget and £250,000 raised by villagers and the owners of threatened homes.

Ms Marple doesn’t know how long her property will last before needing to be knocked down, but said she would be alerted by the council’s demolition firm once it had reached a ‘trigger point’.

With a staggering eight metres of coastline lost six weeks ago in a ‘shocking acceleration’, that time could be closer than ever predicted.

She said: ‘The three phases of defences are a knotted mess. If we don’t defend our road, the houses behind it and further down will be affected.

‘They’ve used the £300,000 to defend a site where six properties have been demolished.

‘We’ve all contributed in good faith to the defences and then they say “You don’t count, you should demolish.”‘

Ms Marple also explained that a storm in March had pushed shingle from the beach onto rock bags that were being stored by the council at the bottom of her cliff.

After the storm, the bags were removed – which Ms Marple said left her property ‘vulnerable’.

Around ten homes behind Ms Marple’s along North End Avenue could also be at risk if the coastline continues to erode.

Her neighbour, Meg, runs the five-bedroom seaside holiday cottage Shore Cote, built in 1892, with prices around £1,275 per week.

Ms Walker also faces demolition if the coast continues to erode, because her property will not be covered by the sea defences.

She said: ‘We do feel like we’re being treated slightly unfairly.

‘We both contributed to erosion funds ten years ago and I’ve already lost my beach. Every tide matters.

‘I tried to get Shore Cote listed building permission but I was told even though I could, it was likely going to be demolished.

‘It’s the oldest holiday home in Thorpeness and there’s very few on the beach here.

‘It’s made of wood but it’s been a very successful holiday home over the years.

‘In 1911, they had really high tides and storms, the house fell off the cliff and onto the beach.

‘They were able to roll it intact to where it is now, even back then.

‘But today, we’re being left behind.’

An East Suffolk Council spokeswoman said legislation meant it cannot carry out work to areas of known risk where the safe demolition of property is possible.

She said: ‘We have been engaging with all affected residents in the North End Avenue area, including Sophie Marple, since last spring about their erosion risk following publication of the Environment Agency’s national erosion risk maps

‘Whilst we are sympathetic to Sophie’s situation, we have a duty to use taxpayers funds responsibly and seek the best outcome possible for the maximum number of properties.

‘Extending the rock bags northwards would not be strategically, technically, environmentally or financially feasible, as an extension would cost a minimum of £300,000 in an attempt to slow erosion to only two homes, for a short period of time, where the risk is already known and plans are already in place for safe removal of properties when necessary.

‘We understand this is a distressing time for all affected residents and we are continuing to support homeowners, including Sophie Marple, to whom we have also offered support and direct financial assistance, to help safely remove her property should it become necessary.’

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 15:31 EDT, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 16:33 EDT, 13 April 2026

Two brothers attacked an armed police officer in an airport brawl using a ‘high level of violence’, a court heard on Monday.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz,21, and his elder brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, rained ‘repeated blows’ on PC Zachary Marsden as he tried to arrest Amaaz in the parking payment area at Terminal Two in Manchester airport.

Amaaz also acted ‘in a cowardly manner’ when he struck unarmed officer PC Lydia Ward by punching her in the face, breaking her nose and also hit PC Ellie Cook, an armed officer with ‘a flurry of blows’.

The fracas in July 2024 was caught on CCTV and the jury was shown the footage yesterday by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC.

The CCTV sequence showed how violence flared when the officers tried to arrest Amaaz and showed the punch that broke PC Ward’s nose.

Jurors also saw Amaaz being wrestled to the floor after aiming punches at PC Cook and a kick aimed by PC Marsden at the head of Amaaz when the defendant was on the floor.

Mr Greaney said that in response to having been assaulted, PC Marsden kicked Amaaz to the face and then brought his foot down towards the top of his head ‘in what looks like a stamping motion.’

He told the jury: ‘Those actions look rather shocking in the cold light of day, but we suggest they need to be judged in the context of the very serious level of threat posed by the defendants to an officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an international airport.

‘In any event, those actions all occurred after the violence of the defendants. The position of the prosecution is that they are logically entirely irrelevant to the lawfulness of the conduct of Amaaz and Amaad.’

The court heard on Monday that Amaaz was found guilty at a trial last year of assaulting the two women police officers.

He was also found guilty of an assault on Qatari citizen Abdulkareem Ismaeil in a Starbucks cafe minutes before the incident in the parking payment area.

The jury heard that the brothers had gone to the airport to meet their mother on a flight from Pakistan via Qatar and ‘something had happened’ between the mother and Mr Ismaeil which had made her unhappy.

It was when the mother pointed out Mr Ismaeil in the cafe that Amaaz had confronted him and headbutted him in the face and struck further blows.

The jury heard that the assaults on PCs Cook and Ward and the alleged assault on PC Marsden happened after they tried to arrest Amaaz for the attack on Mr Ismaeil.

The jury heard that Amaaz still believes the jury in the first trial was wrong to convict him and claims he was acting in lawful self-defence.

The jury in the first trial was unable to reach a verdict on both brothers over the alleged assault on PC Marsden.

At a retrial Monday, Amaaz also claimed that he was acting in self-defence when he struck PC Marsden.

Muhammad Amaad claims he was acting in defence of his brother and both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, pleaded not guilty to assaulting PC Marsden, causing him actual bodily harm.

Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, told the jury: ‘This is not a complicated case. The events were captured on CCTV and body-worn cameras of the police officers.

‘You will be able to see with your own eyes what happened. What occurred is plain to see beyond any sensible argument.

‘The defendants say the violence they used against PC Marsden was lawful because they were acting in self-defence or in defence of each other.

‘Indeed, Amaaz goes further and claims that he was acting lawfully throughout and that the jury in the first trial was wrong.

‘You have to decide whether you are sure that it may be they were acting in self-defence when they delivered repeated blows to PC Marsden.

‘Our prediction is that you will readily conclude that the defendants were not acting in lawful self-defence and that their conduct was unlawful.’

Mr Greaney told the jury that the two brothers walked from Starbucks to the pay station, a journey of just two minutes.

The three police officers went to the parking pay station to arrest Amaaz and ‘violence erupted quickly,’ he said.

The jury heard that PC Marsden and PC Cook were armed with semi-automatic Glock 17 pistols and entered the pay station area 8.28pm.

Mr Greaney said: ‘Over the course of the next 30 seconds, Amaaz delivered no fewer than 12 blows (a kick, elbow strikes and punches) to the three officers, breaking PC Ward’s nose and causing injuries to the other two.

‘Amaad delivered repeated blows with his fists to PC Marsden and, as you will see, used a high level of violence.’

Mr Greaney said the conviction of Amaaz in the first trial proved that he acted offensively and not defensively.

He added: ‘In the environment of a courtroom, it is difficult to get a sense of how seriously the officers perceived the threat posed by the two defendants to be.

‘From the body-worn camera footage, we get a real sense of how fearful the officers involved in this violence had been.’

The trial continues.

A council has been blasted for blowing half a million pounds on a cycle lane less than a mile long.

The £500,000 project in the seaside town of Gorleston, Norfolk, has been blasted for being a ‘colossal waste of money’ and drawn ire from cyclists themselves.

Locals claim the new lanes have made the street dangerously narrower and more hazardous, while retailers say the loss of parking spaces has harmed trade.

Mobility scooters have been spotted riding up and down the cycle lanes, delivery drivers regularly block them, and cyclists say they’re now forced onto the pavement to stay safe.

Resident Les West, 83, who lives on Middleton Road where the lanes have been installed, said: ‘It is a disgusting, horrendous waste of money. They have made a busy road into a dangerous one.

‘It is a colossal waste of money, and I can’t see the point in it at all.’

Sue Bowman, 53, who works at the Rose Garden florist shop on Middleton Road, said: ‘It has gone from a safe road to a very unsafe, dangerous road. It is awful.

‘I don’t like driving on it now. The lanes you drive on are too narrow, and the road is so narrow because the cycle lanes have been put in. We are still getting people parking in the cycle lanes, and people don’t know where to park.’

Liz Spires, 66, who had come to the florist with her family, said: ‘We think it is bloody stupid. Now you are lucky if you can get two cars parked.

‘We are coming to arrange funeral flowers for my late husband, and it has been a real pain.’

The project had been hailed as Norfolk County Council’s flagship project to encourage cycling.

The scheme, funded by the government’s Active Travel Fund, has seen the creation of a new cycle lane on each side of the road.

New zebra crossings have been introduced, and new reflective wands have been added to separate the road from the cycle lanes.

Since work has been completed, locals say issues have emerged with cars stopping in the cycle lanes and vehicles blocking them off while making deliveries.

Julie Hall, 64, who lives on Middleton Road and uses her bicycle, said: ‘If someone is parked on the cycle lane, you have to ride on the pavement.

‘I cycle to the James Paget to get to work, and binmen get the waste bins that are parked in the cycle lanes.’

Anthony Hollis, 64 and another bicycle user, said: ‘I think it is a lot of money for what it is. If they had widened the pavement, they wouldn’t have had to do any of this. They could have just made the pavement wider.’

Norfolk County Council told Metro in a statement: ‘As with all road improvements, the changes take time to bed in and for people to get used to them.

‘These upgrades will provide safer cycle access between South and North Gorleston, serving the local college and town amenities. We have also improved the safety of crossings for those travelling on foot.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Cyclist just inches from being crushed by a train after crossing safety barrier

MORE: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gets first royal visitor since exile for ‘quiet word’

MORE: Britain’s ‘most expensive cycle lane’ costs taxpayers £4,000 per metre

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British travellers are fuming at new EU border checks that have left some stranded abroad due to chaotic queues so long people began ‘passing out’. 

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) requires travellers from third-party countries, including the UK, to have their fingerprints and photographs taken as they enter the Schengen area. 

Passengers travelling across Europe were hit by delays and cancellations over the weekend, with long queues at passport checks at several destinations including Geneva, Lisbon and Malta. 

Disruption continued today, with passengers waiting for passport control at Brussels Airport and Schiphol in Amsterdam taking to social media to report delays of up to two hours.

One passenger in Amsterdam described ‘elderly people and parents with toddlers’ waiting in line for passport gates, ‘hardly any’ of which were open. The airport’s website confirmed there were ‘long delays’. 

It comes after airline passengers were left vomiting and passing out after becoming stranded in Milan last night.

Around 100 easyJet customers were abandoned at Linate airport while waiting to board a flight to Manchester on Sunday with three-hour queues plaguing travellers as new EU border rules come into force. 

EasyJet said the situation was ‘outside of our control’ and issues with the EU’s new border scheme had caused the delays, adding that the hold-ups were ‘unacceptable’. 

Aviation expert Sally Gethin said the rollout of EES ‘wasn’t going well’. 

‘It’s proving a bumpy ride and a massive headache for travellers,’ she told the Daily Mail. 

‘This is going to rumble on for a few weeks and even when it’s fully bedded down there could be some sporadic issues. 

‘But you can expect that. There are always teething problems when new technology is rolled out. 

‘When you bring into the mix all this bureaucracy and people having to implement it you’re always going to have issues. It’s also incredibly ambitious and across so many countries.’

Ms Gethin said many flyers were ‘confused’ about the scheme and believes the UK government could have done more to educate them. 

‘The UK government has come in for criticism for not raising enough awareness,’ she said. 

‘To the average person travelling it’s quite confusing. You’re going on holiday so will be a bit stressed already 

‘You’re also having frequent flyers who thought they would only have to input their personal data once but are now having to do it multiple times.’

The Mail understands the airline delayed last night’s easyJet flight from Milan by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time but, with the crew approaching the end of their safety-regulated working hours, the flight was forced to head off half empty.

The saga left customers scrambling for alternative means of getting home with some only discovering they had missed their flight once it had left without them. 

One passenger travelling with her boyfriend said only 30 people made it onto the plane, leaving 100 stranded at the airport. 

Kiera, 17, told the BBC: ‘We got here at 7.30am for our flight at 11am so were super early.

‘We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn’t feeling great anyway because I think I’d got food poisoning.

‘At about 10.50am they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone.’  

The student added she and her boyfriend were in the middle of a 20-hour wait for another flight, leaving today and costing her mother £520.

And to make matters worse, the rearranged flight is set to land at Gatwick instead of Manchester. 

Kiera said easyJet had only offered £12.25 in compensation, roughly the price of a sandwich at the airport. 

Meanwhile, Vicky Chapman, 26, from Wirral, was left abandoned in the Italian city along with her son Fredrik, five, her partner Adam Hoijord, mother Lynne Chapman and brother Dan Chapman.

She told Liverpool Echo:  ‘We got to the airport with more than enough time, and got to our gate at 9.30am, but we were totally refused entry through passport control. 

‘We were then told that we are a ‘no show’ on our flight because we did not get to the gate on time, even though passport control had issues and they would not let us through.

‘We were passed from pillar to post for three hours and no-one helped us. It was so hot in the airport, people were vomiting, people were almost passing out. We’re being told that Tuesday is the earliest we can get back, and that we have to fly to Gatwick. We’ve had to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb.’

Adam Lomas, 33, was holidaying in Milan with his wife Katy, 33, and their baby daughter when they got stranded. 

He said he attempted to contact the airline but could not get through to a human operator – only chatbots who ‘hung up’ on him after ‘five or 10 minutes’ because there were ‘audio issues and they couldn’t hear me’.  

The father said his family were now trying to a find a hotel and book new flights back to London where they would then have to get the two-and-a-half-hour train to Manchester.  

He added that easyJet and the airport had ‘spent hours arguing with each other about who is to blame’. 

The airline said it informed customers of the new system and advised them to check their travel documents, allow extra time at airports, be ready for biometric checks, and factor in extra waiting time when planning onward travel. 

Travellers are also being encouraged to arrive early, clear security as soon as possible and head to the gate when called.

An easyJet spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

‘We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester.

‘We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

‘While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.’

It comes after tourists reported chaotic scenes and lengthy delays at airports across Europe earlier this week as the new digital border controls came into effect – with exasperated travellers saying they had been forced to wait ‘for hours’ at terminals, including in Lisbon, Milan and Paris, to clear immigration.

Two travellers at Lisbon airport were among those facing a long wait at passport control. 

Ex-UK and EU diplomat Rupert Joy said the new system was in disarray in the Portuguese capital’s major transport hub.  

He wrote on social media platform X: ‘Complete chaos at Lisbon airport. Loads of people missing flights despite arriving hours in advance because of insanely long queues to passport control. 

‘No one seems to be in control or to have any idea what to do.’

Another traveller said he had experienced a similar scenario, writing: ‘Having the machines at the start of the queue before going through passport control just caused a massive queue leaving Lisbon.’ 

In Paris, a parent travelling with a child, believed to be at Charles de Gaulle airport wrote: ‘Absolutely ridiculous queue for passport control. EU passport with a child under 12, I’ve been queuing for over two hours and still there’s at least a hundred people ahead of me.’

At Milan’s Malpensa airport, it was a similar scenario. 

‘Two hours after landing and I’m still an hour from clearing passport control. Good job. Good try,’ another delayed passenger fumed.

Controversial Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary this month accused the EU of punishing British holidaymakers over Brexit by subjecting them to hours-long passport control queues.

The chief executive, who backed Remain in the referendum, claimed the bloc was ‘undoubtedly’ forcing Britons to endure longer waits at airports as payback for leaving the EU in 2020.

UK holidaymakers jetting off to Europe have been warned of up to four-hour delays at airports as countries ramp up the deployment of a new border system. 

Mr O’Leary said there had been ‘significant disruption’ at passport control since the new system was first introduced in October last year.

The system is being introduced in stages, with full operation expected from April, but has already caused backlogs and increased waiting times for passengers.

‘We are beginning to see significant disruption. That’s the next big issue. And EES has just been a s*** show and a shambles,’ the Ryanair CEO told The Times.