I don't know about LHR but at LGW,
bealine has posted that you're not meant to leave departures back to arrivals without an escort:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=612438
The use of any other route to arrivals could render you liable to be detained whilst your reasons for being in a restricted area are verified - indeed an uncontrolled and unauthorised move from Departures to Arrivals channels could result (and has resulted) in the entire evacuation of the Departures area.