One is most amused after a win at the
Royal Windsor Horse Show. But new laws
put an an end to grins like that, even for the
Queen. Photograph: Julian Finney/GettySaying 'Cheese' could soon mean you'll be taking your summer holidays in Bournemouth rather than Barcelona - as a new rule demanding straight faces only on passport photos comes into force next week.
The idea behind the Home Office restrictions - first announced last year - is to ensure the smooth running of new scanning technology, which apparently has problems recognising gurning and grinning holiday makers.
The rules also specify the mouth should be closed, your piccie should be less than a month old, and only taken against an "off-white, cream or light grey, plain background."
And what if you insist on sending in your most winsome, toothy grin? Smiley faces will lead to applications being refused until officials receive suitable photos, says the Home Office. Which is no laughing matter.
