Holyhead's port would be 'unprotected on a daily basis'

Guns and drugs could be smuggled in to the UK via Welsh ports if plans to slash Wales' anti-smuggling force go ahead.

That is the view of the union representing customs officers, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PSC).

It fears a management plan to axe 40% of front-line Customs and Excise staff would mean the end of controls on Welsh ports.

That would leave 500 miles of coastline from Cardiff to Holyhead unpatrolled and defenceless to crime gangs and terrorists, the union claims.

Officers from ports at Swansea, Pembroke, Fishguard and Mostyn will be diverted to other posts such as such as detecting VAT evasion. from Thursday, replaced by a single mobile response team.

The back door will be left wide open for smugglers to bring in contraband material such as drugs, firearms, pornography and illegal meat Peter Harries, PCS Wales

Only Cardiff and Holyhead would be left with a permanent customs presence.

It would leave Welsh ports "unprotected on a daily basis", according to PCS Wales' Peter Harris.

"The back door will be left wide open for smugglers to bring in contraband material such as drugs, firearms, pornography and illegal meat," he said.

"By the time smuggling activity in a port such as Pembroke has been picked up by the proposed intelligence-led mobile teams tons of class A drugs could be on the streets of Wales."

The union represents 20,000 Customs workers.

The Farmers' Union of Wales weighed in to the debate, fearing the move would make smuggling illegal meat easier.

There are worries that more illegal arms could be smuggled in

Deputy president Gareth Vaughan said it "leaves us virtually defenceless to deal with the criminals and terrorists who view this country as a soft touch".

But a Customs and Excise spokeswoman denied the move would leave Wales open to a greater threat from smuggling and terrorism.

She says Customs was responding to increasingly sophisticated ways in which smugglers work, and will be able to target crime more effectively with its more flexible, mobile team.