Passengers arriving at London Stansted Airport late last night faced chaotic scenes as an estimated 5,000 people queued to get through passport control, Daily Mail informs. 

Children were crying and tempers flared as returning holidaymakers battled to make it to baggage reclaim shortly after midnight - with some waiting more than an hour.

Irate passengers described 'joke scenes' and 'shocking long queues', while another tweeted the airport to say: 'Third world countries are quicker than you lot.'

Airport officials said late on Monday night is one of the busiest arrival times of the week as people come home from long weekends on low-cost airlines.

More than 40 flights landed between 10pm and midnight last night, although the airport insisted this was a normal level of arrivals for the time of the week.

One witness, who spent 40 minutes waiting in line last night, compared the queueing to that which would be seen for Ikea sales or at a big sports event.

The Home Office is responsible for manning the UK Border at the airport, although officials at Stansted did say the time of day is often one of the busiest of the week.

The Government department has been asked to comment. Stansted, which opened in 1991 and handles 17.5million passengers a year, is Britain's fourth busiest airport.