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No room at the inn for injured soldier

Thu Sep 04 02:38PM

A British soldier on leave after being injured in Afghanistan has been refused a room in a Surrey hotel just because he is in the army.

The BBC has reported that Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, from Gwynedd in Wales, was visiting an injured friend near Woking when he was turned away from the Metro Hotel.

Corporal Stringer, of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, was asked to provide a form of identification to book the room and when he presented his military pass he was told that it was management policy not to accept Armed Forces as guests.

Stringer, who injured his wrist falling out of a truck while coming under fire in Afghanistan, was forced to spend the night in his car.

He has now returned to Afghanistan but his mother, Gaynor Stringer, was so upset over the way he was treated by the hotel she wrote to MP Hywel Williams.

Mrs Stringer has also voiced her disappointment over how soldiers are treated in Britain compared to in the United States.

"We've been to America and their military get treated like heroes over there. I think it's terrible they [UK Armed Forces] can't even wear their uniform with pride."

Police were called to the hotel Thursday after the hotel's management claimed it had been receiving threatening and abusive phone calls.

A spokesman for Surrey police said: "Officers were called to the scene because of claims of abusive, offensive and threatening phone calls towards the Metro Hotel. We will monitor the calls to see if an offence has occured, if it has then we can trace the calls and further action will be taken."

The Metro Hotel, which is owned by American Amusements Ltd, has issued an apologetic statement saying the incident "was a mistake".

Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth has written to the Metro Hotel management demanding a more detailed explanation.

Comments11 - 20 of 1350

ridicoulous hotel policy! show more respect for the soldiers brave men!

From mrpassera on Thu Sep 04 03:00PM
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I wonder whether they have a blanket ban on the military from bad experiences with groups of rowdy lads.... Still no excuse for refusing the guy a room

From maidelyn2001 on Thu Sep 04 03:00PM
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The hotel's policy is disgusting. We should all boycott hotels like this.
Who will they exclude next?

From jackiehatton on Thu Sep 04 03:00PM
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What a disgrace that we have our soldiers there protecting the Drug Barons etc and the nonsense- we are once agaian being lied to by politicians and government people = why are we in Afghanistan ? for what ?
as for this young man who probably is very ignorant of why ? like palin's young son who will go to Iraq- we are listenign to many words and little sincere action

From davidthompson28 on Thu Sep 04 03:01PM
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its disgusting. the manager of the metro should be sacked, and the hotel should be closed down.

From dmdcobbett on Thu Sep 04 03:01PM
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Why not to send SAS men to sort out the owner and manager of this rubbish hotel?

From bagboli on Thu Sep 04 03:01PM
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I believe the soldier should sue the hotel for anti militarianism, based on the amount of other ism's they have in the UK now that you can be sued for I am sure they can add another to the list.

From battyman4 on Thu Sep 04 03:01PM
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You get used to the abuse for being in the armed forces, people will be surprised how many companies refuse to deal with us or penalise us in some way. Car Insurance, Mobile Phones, Holiday Insurance etc etc are all weighted against you. You just have to accept that is the price you pay for serving queen and country

From joesture on Thu Sep 04 03:02PM
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totally disgusting. if im in the area its boycotted. they should be ashamed.

From gscollings on Thu Sep 04 03:02PM
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What a disgraceful action by the hotel and its proprietors and it is more disgraceful that those responsible were 'not available for comment'.
I would suggest that the hotel publishes its 'management policy' on this website so that we can all see which other individuals may be refused accomodation.

From roger_wilks on Thu Sep 04 03:02PM
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