A rule obliging British parents to undertake the near-impossible task of making their babies adopt a “neutral” expression on passport photographs has been dropped after thousands of pictures were rejected, a report said on Thursday.
In less than three months last year, more than 15 000 applications for children’s passports were turned down because the applicants’ expressions were deemed irregular, The Daily Telegraph reported.
They fell foul of a rule insisting photographs show all applicants looking straight ahead with a neutral expression, their mouth closed and eyes open — difficult enough for parents to enforce on a young child, let alone a baby.
Between September 12 and November 26 last year 15 441 child passport applications were rejected, according to figures given in Parliament to lawmaker John Hemming, who campaigned against what he called the “bureaucratic nightmare” of the regulations.
One parent had a photo rejected because her daughter’s mouth was open, while another was told that her 11-week-old baby’s face was too shiny and was advised to use make-up.
Hemming had now been told that the rules had been simplified, meaning that any photo giving “a true likeness of the child” was permitted, the paper said.
Young applicants — who irrespective of age must all have their own passport under British laws — are now even allowed to smile for their pictures, it added. – AFP