A UK immigration officer tried to rid himself of his wife by adding her name to a list of terrorist suspects.
He used his access to security databases to include his wife on a watch list of those banned from boarding flights into Britain because their presence in the country is “not conducive to the public good”.
As a result, the woman - who had been visiting family in Pakistan - was unable to return home for three years.
The list tampering went undetected until the unnamed officer was selected for promotion and the woman’s name was found on the suspects’ list during a vetting inquiry.
When questioned, the officer - who is believed to have worked at the agency’s HQ in Croydon, South London - confessed to his manipulation of the watch list.
The Home Office confirmed he had been sacked for gross misconduct.
The incident is likely to raise questions over levels of efficiency in the UK Border Agency, the organisation formed nearly three years ago to take over all immigration controls.
It has already been criticised for poor performance by the Parliamentary Ombudsman. - Daily Mail