EVERTON’S first team squad were among the first passengers to pay a £2 surcharge to use a new fast-track security gate at Liverpool John Lennon airport, yesterday.

The new system was introduced to allow passengers to by-pass the lengthy queues that form in the security search area.

Those using the premium service, called FastLane, buy the £2 ticket from 11 coin and card-operated pay stations installed around the airport terminal.

Airport managers said yesterday that hundreds of people had taken advantage of the speeded-up access route to the departure lounge.

Among them was the entire Everton FC first-team squad, who, along with manager David Moyes, were on their way to Florence as part of their pre-season training schedule.

Club spokesman Ian Ross said: “Travelling and passing through airports can become a bane of the modern footballer’s life.

“It’s trying and tiring for anybody, let alone footballers. Anything that helps eradicate that problem of hanging around is welcome.”

The airport has introduced the voluntary charge as a way of raising extra revenue to offset the rising cost of more stringent security checks.

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