BAA fears Olympic security logjam

José Leo, the finance director at BAA, the owner of Heathrow, has admitted he is "very concerned" about border control and security at the official Olympic airport this summer, warning: "It's the weakest link in the chain."

He admitted that BAA was worried that its £20m Olympic investment – including a new temporary terminal for athletes – could be wasted if delays hit its reputation.

"What we see today is not good," he said. "The only positive is that there seems to be a great deal of consciousness about the problem."

Passenger numbers at Heathrow rose 4.4 per cent to a first-quarter record of 15.7 million, with revenues at BAA, which also owns Stansted, up 11.5 per cent to £537m – mainly due to higher spending at airport shops.