Never happened to me on an arriving flight from Ireland - and I've been through loads of times in last few years. Straight off plane, up to immigration hall, sent via yon old feller on the Irish/Channel Islands desk, give him your boarding card, and then through the perspex tunnel and out and up into Baggage Hall. NEVER been photographed. So now we appear have three arrivals procedures at LGW South:
1. International pax via UK Border control (passports)
2. ROI/CI pax with no photos via one man desk (boarding cards)
3. Domestic pax with photos via one man desk (boarding cards)