'Illegal' airport staff deported

The cleaners had been working at Heathrow Airport

More arrests are expected following the deportation of nine Heathrow Airport cleaners over immigration and deception offences.

Scotland Yard has confirmed that a total of 15 staff from Slough-based cleaning company ISS Aviation were arrested on 21 August.

Nine were deported, two were charged with possession of stolen passports and four were released with no further action taken against them.

We are co-operating fully with the various authorities involved

ISS Aviation

Police have said other arrests may take place at Heathrow or other UK airports, describing the action as "an ongoing operation".

The cleaning company is assisting detectives with further inquiries but a spokesman for the firm stressed that any of its employees granted a security pass for the airport would have had to pass stringent checks.

ISS Aviation employs about 2,000 staff in the UK, on operations including plane de-icing, interior and exterior cleaning, maintenance and baggage handling.

'Very worrying'

The spokesman conformed that a total of 57 employees were initially interviewed by authorities investigating possible cases of illegal immigration.

He said: "As a result of this investigation, it was found that nine employees were in breach of either their landing conditions or did not have full residency status and were deported.

"The remaining ISS staff involved have proved their legitimate residency in the UK.

"ISS complies with all current employment regulations, and applications for work passes for ISS Aviation at Heathrow are vetted.

"We are co-operating fully with the various authorities involved."

Wilshire: 'Any loopholes must be plugged'

Conservative MP David Wilshire, whose constituency borders Heathrow Airport, described the news as "very worrying".

He told BBC News Online he was holding urgent talks with BAA, the police and the Department of Transport to try and establish exactly what had happened.

He stressed that even if someone had illegally obtained a pass, they would still be subject to security checks everyday and before they left the building to board an aircraft.

But he added that he remained anxious about how the passes were obtained in the first instance if travel documents were "not in order".

He went on: "However good your system, it is human nature that someone will find a way of beating it, but we must ensure these instances are at an absolute minimum and do not compromise safety."

Concerns over airport security have been heightened since the US terror attacks on 11 September - and are greater still as the one-year anniversary approaches.