Earlier in May, the country’s tourism minister, Olga Kefalogianni, said the Greek government did not want visitors to be “burdened” by bureaucratic procedures when entering or leaving the country.

She confirmed at the time that British visitors would not face biometric checks at the border at any time during the summer season.

However, European and Greek authorities have now clarified that suspension of the system is permitted only during periods of high passenger traffic at specific entry points and does not apply to any country or nationality.

In response to a question from The Associated Press on Thursday (May 14), the Foreign Ministry said: “We have not received any further update or clarification as to whether, for example, specific nationalities are temporarily exempt from the relevant procedure.”

This won’t just affect Brits, but any non-EU (European Union) nationals who have to go through the biometric scanners.

Greece insists it has “successfully started the full operation of the Entry-Exit System”.

However, in practice, it suspended biometric checks on UK visitors in early April after long queues built up at Corfu airport.

Private tour operators fear additional airport checks could discourage travel from the UK to the EU, and widen the disparity with EU citizens, who can move within the bloc without passport checks

What are the new EU entry/exit system rules?

BBC News reports that back in April, the EU completed the introduction of its controversial new digital border procedure, known as the “entry-exit system”, or EES.

It requires short-term visitors from outside the EU and the European Economic Area to register biometric data each time they enter or leave the Schengen free travel zone.

Recommended reading:

The first time they cross the border, this is meant to include fingerprints and a facial scan, with one of those being checked each time they go through passport control.

Although the system is working well in some parts of the EU, there have been serious difficulties in others, with some passengers experiencing queues of up to three hours.

Have you experienced long delays travelling to Europe due to biometric checks? Let us know in the comments.

The presenter, known for his work on Top Gear and Clarkson’s Farm, owns both The Farmer’s Dog pub and Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire.

His TV credits also include The Grand Tour, on which we worked with Richard Hammond and James May for eight years since its 2016 debut.

The journey came to an end in 2024 with one final special across Zimbabwe and Botswana in Africa, entitled The Grand Tour: One For The Road.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson breaks silence on BBC’s new Top Gear remake

It was announced in February that Prime Video had recruited three new presenters to follow in the footsteps of Clarkson, May and Hammond.

Trainspotter-turned-social media star Francis Bourgeois will front the show alongside James Engelsman and Thomas Holland.

Now, in a new article by The Times, where Mr Clarkson is a columnist, the TV legend has revealed that he has seen clips from the new trio’s adventures.

“I’ve seen some of it, and it is very, very good,” said Mr Clarkson.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson hosts new music festival ‘rivalling Glastonbury’ next week

When the trio were announced, the 66-year-old told Autocar journalists Steve Cropley and Matt Prior on their podcast: “Don’t be hasty. Do not be hasty.”

“I think Andy’s [Wilman] involved to some extent. Difficult to work out how much, but he’s definitely involved. I know this because I heard his voice on the guide track of their film.

“Oh, it’s different. I mean, it’s different because they’re three completely different people to us, but they’re bl**dy funny.”

The incident occurred in the village of Churchill, in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds near Chipping Norton, at about 9.30pm on Wednesday, May 13.

Police said multiple offenders went to the rear of a home and smashed through the patio doors, before carrying out a ‘messy’ search of the house looking for cash and jewellery.

The Cotswolds village of Churchill, in Oxfordshire (Image: Wikimedia Commons / Philip Halling)

READ MORE: Henley MP calls for vaccine roll-out after meningitis death

Thames Valley Police has asked anyone with information about the burglary to get in touch, quoting reference number 43260237641.

The force also issued 10 recommendations to prevent burglaries, which included locking doors and windows even when home, lighting the property, installing visible CCTV and strengthening entry points.

Homeowners are advised to make the house look occupied when no one’s home, remove hiding places, test alarm systems, know your neighbours, protect your keys and use smart tech to monitor your home when out.