The Peterborough Passport Office has been evacuated as emergency services investigate reports of a “suspicious package”. A circle is formed on the streets close to the building in the center of the city
Emergency services have evacuated the passport office after a “suspicious package” was found in Peterborough.
Police and firefighters are on the streets near Peterborough’s passport office in Northminster.
People can be seen outside with blankets in City Road.
Police have said that they are examining the contents of the package.
A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: “We were contacted today (30 May) at approximately 7.30 pm at the Passport Office in Northminster, Peterborough, with reports of a suspicious package.
“An investigation is on to establish more details about the contents of the package.
“Roads are closed and cordoned off as a precaution.”
It comes as passport offices are facing a prolonged backlog in requests from some Britons who fear they may miss their holidays this summer.
The new analysis suggests that the plan to reduce passport office staff would mean 45,000 fewer passports are processed each week, Express reported.
The government agency has about 700,000 applications pending – and the chaos has already forced the cancellation of family vacations.
Earlier this month the government said it wanted to cut about 91,000 – a fifth of civil service jobs -.
According to an analysis of the volume of passports processed by existing staff members in March, a 20% cut in staff resources at the Passport Office could mean that at least 8,695 passports are being processed each working day, or 43,475 fewer passports per week.
British travelers are already facing wait times of up to 10 weeks for their passports to be issued.
Any further delay could mean that more people are missing out on foreign trips.
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