Go on then. How do you know?
I believe UKBA is supposed to work with British citizens who arrive without documentation to find an alternative way to verify their identity and citizenship. It doesn't surprise me to hear that they do it with "attitude."
As told elsewhere here but . . . lost my UK passport and (worse still) my Ingles Credential late on the night before my early morning flight home from SdC.
Decided to chance it as I had scans of my passport and my UK/EU driving licence on me.
EasyJet couldn't have been more sympathetic and one of their staff went to Spanish Border Control with me. Border Control couldn't have been more helpful either, they looked at my driving licence and waved me through.
When it was time to board the plane the EJ lady reappeared and made sure I got on.
At Gatwick however . . . I explained what had happened to a surly Immigration Clerk who gruffly asked how I'd managed to get on the plane. I was tired, I was stressed and so, to lighten the moment said that I'd walked up the stairs like everybody else. Oops!
Sitting in a holding pen with a dozen or so disreputable fellow passengers, they took away my licence and my phone (but didn't ask for the unlock PIN) and left me there for 30 minutes or so as we were eyed up by new arrivals walking past.
The clerk returned and gave me my things saying I could go but
should have gone to Madrid and obtained a new passport from the Embassy there"
Welcome back to the UK.