Extra cost for new passports

Millions of Britons face an extra charge for new passports in a security clampdown unveiled today.

Starting in May, anyone applying for their first passport will have to show a full "long" version of their birth certificate.

Applicants who only have the short version, including around one in four children, will have to pay for a full version.

The minimum charge for the long certificate is £7 but obtaining one urgently will cost between £23 and £27.50 - meaning people without one will have to pay up to £69.50 to obtain their first passport.

The additional requirement will also add to the delays and bureaucracy surrounding applications.

The Home Office said the change was essential to combat fraud and identity theft.

Long birth certificates include the names and birthplaces of both parents, to prove identity and nationality.