Britain’s borders watchdog has been sacked after he claimed “high-risk” aircraft were entering the country without security checks.
David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, was told he had “lost the confidence” of home secretary James Cleverly.
He had previously accused the Home Office of failing to publish 15 critical reports he had carried out.
The most recent spat involved claims he made in the Daily Mail about private jets landing in the UK without being checked by border officials.
Neal, a former soldier, said: “I’ve been involved in protecting this country all my working life.
“It would untenable to see this scandal go unaddressed until the end of the year.
“There will be no-one in this position to investigate whether these serious problems at London City airport are prevalent at other airports around the country.′
He added: “This is a scandal, and incredibly dangerous for this country’s border security. There should now be a rapid independent inspection of general aviation across the country.”
The Home Office denied Neal’s claims, and tonight confirmed that he has been sacked.
A spokesperson said: “We have terminated the appointment of David Neal, the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, after he breached the terms of appointment and lost the confidence of the home secretary.
“The planned recruitment process for the next Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration is in progress.”
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This is total Tory chaos on borders and immigration.
“A series of Conservative home secretaries have sought to bury uncomfortable truths revealed by the chief inspector about our broken borders, and shockingly they are still sitting on 15 unpublished reports stretching back to April last year. The home secretary must now publish those reports in full.
“The Conservatives have lost control of our borders, are seeking to hide the truth, and are putting border security at risk.”
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: “This is a desperate move from a Conservative government terrified of proper scrutiny of their record of failure on borders and immigration.
“Conservative ministers must publish these reports without delay
“From the failed Rwanda scheme to the broken asylum system, it’s no surprise this government is trying to cover up their failures.”