Line could stretch 10 miles – and close on Saturday night

ThE queue for people to pay their final respects to the Queen could stretch for ten miles and may be closed as early as saturday night.

Downing street yesterday said the planned route of almost seven miles will be extended by installing three miles of airportstyle zigzag lines in parks at the beginning and end.

Government sources also warned the queue will be closed to new entrants at some point over the weekend when officials decide no more people will be able to make it in time to Westminster hall to see the Queen lying in state.

The lying-in-state period will end at 6.30am on Monday.

But, with Culture secretary Michelle Donelan warning that queue times could hit 30 hours, this could mean the line being closed to new entrants in the early hours of sunday, or even late on saturday night.

Ministers privately admit they have no idea how many people will descend on London, but they are braced for vast numbers. Provision has been made for the queue to start in southwark Park in Bermondsey and end at Victoria Tower Gardens by the house of Lords.

The total distance is 6.9 miles, but an additional three miles of ‘queue infrastructure’ has been installed in the parks at the beginning and end, taking the total distance to almost ten miles.

Visitors will go through airportstyle security before entering Westminster

hall. There will be more than 1,000 volunteers, stewards and police on hand at any one time. The samaritans will deploy 180 volunteers to provide ‘emotional support’ to those grieving.