Illegal immigrants and foreign prisoners are failing to be removed from the UK because escort staff are "intimidating" them, a report has said.

The findings are revealed by the Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales , Dame Anne Owers.

Inspectors monitored immigration escort staff involved in removing detainees from Heathrow Airport .

It says when officers escorting immigration offenders mistreat them, removals are more likely to fail.

The report cites the case of four Afghan detainees, who were initially willing to fly home.

Then, in what the report describes as an "unnecessary and intimidating" intervention, escort staff warned the detainees they would be "dealt with" if they were "naughty" on the plane. They refused to go.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8198441.stm