A dad who queued for 24 hours to renew his son’s passport claims he was treated “like an animal” by staff.
Phil Corns, 41, and his family are due to fly to Egypt for a holiday but needed new documentation as his sons’ have less than six months left.
He and wife Jayne, 46, sent off for Archer, nine, and seven-year-old Billy’s and were buoyed when one came back quickly.
When diabetic Billy’s was “lost in cyberspace” Phil had to stand in line at Liverpool Passport Office after he finished a 12 hour shift, the Liverpool Echo reported.
The dad said: “There is no interest, no compassion, no human element [from the staff].
"I have been told not to sit down on a chair. We are being treated like animals. A woman even bribed me with £40 to push in front of me.
“I’m desperate, tired and emotional. When I phoned up originally and requested an upgrade, they said it would take 48 hours.
“It’s been more than two weeks."
Phil and Jayne had previously made two trips to Liverpool from Newcastle-under-Lyme for the missing passport, but left the city empty handed.
Jayne added: “I’m frustrated and stressed out. It’s a huge mess… There is no consistency, no updates and no information being given to people.
“They need to throw some overtime at it. I just feel very let down, they’re changing the way they do it everyday. We have had to take time off to wait in the queue.
“We want people to benefit from our experience… we want to raise this profile.”
Officials have continued to prioritise different groups of people every day, making it more difficult to get an appointment, according to Jayne.
She said the fast-track system on Friday prioritised those holiday-goers who had flights within 48 hours but officials changed their stance on Saturday and allowed those people who queued up the day before, irrespective of their departure date, to be dealt with first.
The mum of three added after days of frustration Billy finally managed to get a passport on Tuesday evening.
It comes after reports of chaos was reported at the Liverpool branch of the passport office on Monday, where people waited outside in the rain on camping chairs.
A video shows the queue stretching along the city centre as the showers hit.
The line snaked along Old Hall Street from the corner of Brook Street, where the office is located, to the Radisson Blu Hotel.
Unhappy would-be travellers sheltered under umbrellas, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Anticipating a long wait, some had planned ahead and brought the fold-out furniture to take the weight off their feet as they moved towards the office at a snail's pace.
HM Passport Office has warned people of delays in passport applications due to "unprecedented demand".
