Police chief inspector Phil Falla has assured islanders that foreign workers who have access to secure areas of Guernsey Airport receive thorough criminal record checks.(0521570)

FOREIGN workers at Guernsey Airport who have access to secure areas do receive thorough criminal record checks, a police chief has said.

Since 2003, members of staff have been checked against UK criminal records but BBC Newsnight discovered this week that foreign workers at UK airports had not been checked for offences which were committed abroad.

The UK government said that it would take too long and be too complex to check criminal records from abroad. But Guernsey Police chief inspector Phil Falla said workers at Guernsey’s airport are fully checked depending on what security category they were.

‘If they have access to secure areas then a full check is done, which includes their country of origin, places and where they have been a resident leading up to the check,’ he said.