Ms Homer, now chief executive of the Revenue and Customs, said there had been problems with the "transition" to the new unit in 2011 but the organisation had got better at responding to correspondence and asylum cases were being dealt with properly.

BBC: The UK Border at Heathrow

Letters from Ms. Lerner in April and May 2012 responding to questions by Republican lawmakers made no mention of the problems that had surfaced in the IRS unit.

WSJ: Wider Problems Found at IRS

The police marine unit patrols the 89-mile (143km) length of the Dorset coast as well as responding to inland flooding emergencies.

BBC: Dorset Police Marine Section 'saved' in cuts review