Gatwick Airport says it’s hired 400 extra security staff to ease queues during the summer holidays and make the process ‘as smooth as possible’.

Chief Operating Officer Adrian Witherow said: “With passenger numbers rapidly returning to 2019 levels, we expect to be busy, particularly at peak times such as weekends and the forthcoming school summer holidays.

“We are doing everything possible to make the airport process as smooth as possible, including recruiting and training hundreds of new security staff, many of whom have already started or will be in coming weeks.”

It’s also reminding travellers to help keep security check times down by putting liquids, creams, gels, balms and pastes in a resealable transparent bag and taking it out of hand luggage.

It said toothpaste, Vaseline, cigarette lighters, inhalers and hand sanitiser are the items that are most frequently left in hand luggage that need to be taken out before screening.