blackace Thank you for contributing a most interesting sidelight on your work, of which most of us know little.
Whilst some in this forum are attacking anything that moves at EGLL, I think that the regular traveller wants to criticise the BAA mgmt for their lack of communication on the day and at the time of need. Since the infrastructure is 'fronted' by the carrier, BAA are often able to hide behind them.
One of the hallmarks of modern companies is not providing cogent and timely information when things go wrong. In days gone by, manual intervention could often save the day and you have helpfully told us why that is not possible in this case. Had BAA given more information and explanation, then customers might not be so aggrieved - but I doubt it. The accumulated grief of paxing through LHR means that BAA have used every last drop of customer tolerance.
Thanks again for telling us the real information.