Manchester Airport slammed a programme on its struggles since the start of the pandemic as 'inaccurate'.

Dispatches: Airport Chaos Undercover aired on August 1 and raised a range of issues from cancellations and delays to lost luggage and staff shortages.

In one alarming moment in the programme, a reporter witnessed passengers crawl onto a conveyor and into the airside area to seek out their own bags.

But a spokesperson for Manchester Airport said this alarming moment and a number of others were several weeks old, and therefore not a reflection of 'the current state of operations'.

They said: "While there will be moments when we, or our airlines, ground handlers and other partners, continue to face challenges due to our recovery, it is our view Dispatches gave an inaccurate impression of the current state of operations and the experience passengers will receive in the coming weeks.

"The undercover footage within Swissport's baggage operation was several weeks old, as were almost all the case studies and mobile phone videos used."

The spokesperson said Manchester Airport was refused a right of reply by the makers of the programme.

This meant it was not able to explain it recruited hundreds of staff ahead of the summer, with 95 per cent of its passengers through security in less than 30 minutes last week.

They said: "Despite several requests, we were refused a right of reply and not given the opportunity to challenge or correct any of the claims made.

"This prevented us from outlining the improvements made in recent months and risked unnecessarily misleading viewers about what to expect when they travel this summer."

This development comes after Trafford Council, which is a shareholder in the airport, agreed to write to its managing director Chris Woodroofe to arrange a meeting for him to set out his plan for improving its performance.

At the end of last month, councillors passed a motion calling for this meeting and criticising the Conservative Government's response to the situation.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. Jack is the reporter for The Messenger and covers anything and everything from within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford.

To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.