A passport office will be closed until January after its building was damaged by high winds last month.

A terracotta cladding panel broke away from the side of the building and fell through a second-floor dormer window, sources at the Durham office told the BBC.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents staff, said “shoddy work” was putting its members at risk.

The Home Office said customers would have to go to other offices if they needed a passport urgently.

A spokesperson said the office had to remain closed “for the safety of our staff and customers”.

“We will continue to provide a quality service, with contingency measures in place to ensure people continue to receive their passports in a timely manner.”

The passport service website listed Durham as “unavailable” for appointments.

Travelers posting on social media said they had to travel to Glasgow, 150 miles from Durham, to obtain an urgent passport.

The closure of the area around the office would be “lifted as soon as it is safe to do so”, Durham County Council said.

Building safety manager Ted Murphy said: “The road and paths in the immediate vicinity of the building remain closed in the interests of public safety, with local businesses and residents in the wider area still able to access to their properties. »

The PCS union said staff had been transferred to other offices in the North East while repair work was completed.