Yahoo News Couple's P&O 'holiday of a lifetime' in tatters as 'passport office error' threatens to ruin trip
A couple have been left devastated as a 'passport office error' threatens to derail their 'holiday of a lifetime'. Annmarie Landon and Antony Henderson were eagerly anticipating their 'much needed' Mediterranean cruise, but now find themselves 'beyond stressed'.
The pair were scheduled to embark on their dream journey with P&O Cruises from Southampton on April 28. However, this is now looking 'unlikely' as they anxiously await the arrival of Antony's passport.
Despite applying for his first-ever passport in January, the 61 year old has been informed that his application is under investigation.
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In a twist of events, HM Passport Office claims that a passport was issued in Antony's name back in 1998, despite the couple insisting that Antony has never owned or applied for one. Speaking to Birmingham Live, Annmarie labelled it as an 'obvious passport office error', stating: "He has never had a passport, or even applied for one."
She added: "We've been together 30 years next year, he's never been abroad. It is obviously a passport office error of some sort and unfortunately, we are paying the price for their mistake.
"I have been calling the passport office for weeks, almost daily, and have been getting nowhere. I am beyond stressed about this, I should be looking forward to our holiday, not dreading every day that goes by, because we have not received the passport."
The 58 year old administrative worker was hit with a crushing blow on Monday, April 22, when she was informed that Antony's application was 'unlikely' to be processed in time. She shared: "I had a phone call yesterday and they told me it probably wouldn't arrive in time and it was very unlikely he'd be able to travel. They said it's in a queue to be investigated, but they've had all the information for 13-weeks now, there's nothing more I can give them."
Annmarie revealed that she would now have to contact the cruise company to see if they could postpone their holiday until a later date, adding that she stood to lose 'a lot' of money if she had to cancel. She also mentioned that they were in 'much need' of a break following a series of family tragedies, stating: "We have had an absolute awful few years, I lost my father and brother within a few months of each other, then Antony lost his brother."
The Home Office declined to comment on individual cases when approached by BirminghamLive, but stated that HM Passport Office must be satisfied of the applicant's nationality, identity, and eligibility, with a British passport only being issued once checks were satisfactorily completed.
