I know you wanted to end this topic Alan, but I felt the Passport Office needed putting straight, so have been in correspondence with them, ending with the following email from them:-

'"The photocopying of a passport in colour is illegal and in breach of copyright and you would have to seek permission from the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. The administration of crown copyright is a matter for HMSO's Licensing Division and is not something over which IPS has any control or legislative power. Hope this answers your query.

Thanks
*Edit to remove sender's name. Pippy*
TEB
IPS
Durham "

I have asked them to inform all their staff of this fact to avoid them giving out mis-information!