To be honest the way copies of licences and passports are bandied around over here for pub entry, posting parcels, rental applications, coughing, sneezing and burping, they cease to hold the imporatnce that they should.
Kf a JP is supposed to provide a copy of their passport as part of their role, then they will. You can but ask. I use guys at work to do mine, they are personal friends so things are a little different. If a JP feels he/she can't do it, I'm sure they can point you in the right direction.

Also, you can know people without being physically in touch with them all the time. When I first arrived I remember signing a fellow BE member's family passport renewals as we had first been in touch with each other in the Uk and had known each other through personal messages, emails and phone calls for well over 3 years, as well as the year that we had known each other personally in Brisbane.

The U.K. Passport Helpline is an issue foe me.They gave me this number 0011-0300 222 0000.

I tried a number of times,but I get a ring,then a busy signal.I rang my ISP and they looked that number up on their database (or whatever) and they say that number that I've been calling is not listed as far as they are concerned.

I've looked up numbers for the U.K. Passport Helpline,and I find different numbers.

Can anyone verify the above number that they have been given and actually used it please?

I just want to be sure that I am not getting scammed as I have to send everything pertaining to my I.D. in the mail along with my mother's birth certif.

I thank-you in advance.

Why not just bing it? According to the official site +44 (0)300 222 0000 (remember to drop the zero if calling from abroad) this is the number to call from outside the UK.

As astera says, https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line has that number for contact. Thats the UK passport office. they are not a scam.

I have (ixquick) and I have found it about 40 minutes after my post.

Thanks for your feed-back in relation to that "0".

You would have thought common sense would have prevailed by indicating to people ring from outside to omit that number.

Again,thanks astera for your help.....much appreciated

Thank-you Pollyanna. .

Just thought I'd post this if people are wondering how long it takes at the moment as I just renewed mine.

Posted Application from Canberra to UK on 15th January 2016. Had my new one back in my hand on the 1st of February 2016.

Very quick turn around time. The new one looks good too, great colourful pages.

Very useful, thanks

Friend of mine renewed his uk passport a while back.

From the time of posting it,and getting his new one back,it took two weeks as well.

In my case,because I haven't renewed for 26 years,I have to go through the arduous process of applying as if I was applying for my 1st passport.

Anyone know if you have to be at home personally when the courier comes or whether one's parents can accept the package?

My guess is that if you are not at home,they'll leave a card for you to pick it up at a designated local post office.

Ok, will the post office allow them to pick it up if I can't?

If it needs ID for collection then you will actually have to sign the pick-up card giving them permission to pick-up on your behalf.

That might take a while - me being in QLD and them being in Ice Station Zebra (NSW).

I did have a Justice of the Peace sign an authorisation letter that included copies of my passport and their DL for the purposes of accepting any parcels or letters sent to me at that address.

Do I stand a chance that this will suffice?

Depends on who delivers it tbh. One may stick it in the post box regardless of it saying it needs signing for and someone else may leave a card. Someone else may not even walk up the path to see if anyone's in before leaving a card saying no one was in.