Passengers using forged GP notes to avoid cost of tests

TRAVELLERS are trying to break Covid rules with forged doctor’s notes which claim they need emergency surgery.

Immigration officers are uncovering multiple examples of fake letters designed to help passengers avoid paying for tests or fines under the regulations, the Mail can reveal.

‘Forged letters have been uncovered which say the passenger’s coming back for an emergency operation or other emergency treatment,’ said a borders source.

‘When immigration officers phone up the doctors named on the letters, they don’t know anything about it.’ Under the current restrictions, anyone coming to the UK to ‘attend urgent, non-pre-arranged treatment’ does not have to take a Covid test before travel, or on days two and eight after arrival.

Lucy Moreton, of the Immigration Services Union, added that border guards were seeing ‘upwards of 100’ fraudulent Covid test certificates a day. She said many of those identified as fake had spelling mistakes on them, with the word ‘negative’ often spelt incorrectly.