Originally Posted by
copenhagenBA
... but are there any alternatives at LHR T5 to swerve any potential huge passport control queue.
No. There's no possibility to leave airside without clearing immigration except for domestic flights and the few international flights that are treated as such. If there were any ways to avoid immigration, the system would be pretty pointless.
Originally Posted by
copenhagenBA
We have a 4.5hr layover before our next flight and wanted to take a trip into London.
Getting out of T5 and onto the train, the train journey to London and back and clearing security and immigration will eat up pretty much all of those 4.5hr.