by political editor Paul Francis

Cuts to staffing numbers at the UK Border Agency are leaving immigration officials at Dover and other ports with an impossible job, according to a union.

A Kent representative of the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents border agency staff, said government funding cuts meant compromises were inevitable.

Peter Norris said: "We have been handed a 25% cut in budgets over a four-year period.

"Our view is that is not possible without significantly restricting our ability to do the job.

"There are only so many cuts and efficiencies you can make. We are already cut to the bone and now the government wants us go even further."

His comments come as the cross-party Home Affairs select committee prepares to quiz Home Secretary Theresa May over the way in which border controls were relaxed.

Reports at the weekend suggested that four years ago, checks on passengers travelling on buses arriving at Dover were severely diluted after the authorities at Calais complained about congestion.

Carole Upshall, director of Border Force South and Europe, responsible for checks at Calais and the Eurostar terminal in Paris is among three senior managers to have been suspended in the wake of the disclosures.

Mr Norris warned that managers were plugging gaps in immigration staff by transferring customs officers to do their job.

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"There is pressure on managers to exercise immigration control efficiently but if you have fewer people to do the job, there is a temptation to pull people from other areas.

"Since the formation of the Border Agency, immigation and customs and excise staff have worked together under the one organisation.

"Immigration issues have got such a high profile, we have already become concerned that the way of plugging any gaps is to transfer customs officers on to immigration."