Durham Passport office extends closure until January due to safety fears, with “shoddy workmanship” blamed

The Durham passport office has extended its closure until January after safety fears pertaining to the building after a storm last month, leading to condemnation over the quality of work on it.

A terracotta cladding panel came free from the side of the building and fell through a skylight on the second floor.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents staff, said “shoddy workmanship” had put its members at risk.

The Home Office said customers would have to travel to other offices if they required a passport urgently.

A Home Office spokesperson said the office had to stay closed “for the safety of our staff and customers”.

“We will still be providing a quality service, with contingency measures in place to ensure that people continue to receive their passports in good time.”

Travellers posting on social media said they had to go to Glasgow, which is 150 miles (241km) away from Durham, to obtain an urgent passport.

Foy said temporary measures should be put in place for people in the area to access priority services “which do not involve extended, costly journeys”.

Durham County Council said the closure of the adjacent road and paths would be “lifted as soon as it is safe to do so”.

Building safety manager Ted Murphy said local businesses and residents would still be able to access their properties.

The PCS union said staff had been relocated to other offices in the North East while repair work is completed.