rechecking baggage on connecting flight?
 

(preamble: this is my first post, and so if this isn't the right forum, feel free to move this, and I apologize.)

I just booked a ticket with BA, IAH-MAN with a connecting flight at LGW. I know I have to go through customs/immigration in London, but will I have to collect my baggage and then recheck it, or will it be checked through to MAN? I've read conflicting reports, so I wanted to see if anyone knew here before I tried contacting BA directly. Thanks for any help you can give :)

(edited to change the title)

You go through immigration at London (LGW in your case) but you go through customs at MAN (your final destination in the UK). This is a quaint system, handled through special tags and customs keeping an eye on the domestic UK baggage claim at MAN (the other LGW-MAN pax won't be clearing customs, so your bag is intermixed with their bags). It works surprisingly well and you do have to be honest with customs about your stuff. So you will not see your baggage at LGW nor will you have to recheck it (sort of the opposite system to the US).

My experience with onward domestic UK connections via London is limited to Glasgow and Edinburgh. With that disclaimer-

As number_6 says, you will clear Immigration at LGW but won't need to claim and recheck your baggage there.

In Edinburgh, bags that had originated overseas were separated from domestic baggage and diverted to a dedicated "international" carousel. In several journeys, however, I never saw an actual HM Customs officer on duty. I think there may have been a telephone with which passengers were meant to declare dutiable goods on the hono[u]r system. I never saw anyone doing so.

Just because you didnt see them it doesnt mean they are not there.
Try looking for the 2 way mirrors/screens. The level of coverage depends on where the flights are coming in from.
I am always amazed how they seem to come from nowhere to catch the real criminals, not those carrying an extra bottle of drink.

OTOH, when you need to have a carnet de passage stamped, and have to wait for an hour after calling HM Customs on the 'red phone', it's extremely annoying...