UK NEWS
SOLDIER IS REFUSED A BED BY HOTEL... BECAUSE HE IS IN THE ARMY
The Metro Hotel in Woking at the centre of the row
By Chris Riches
A HOTEL last night apologised after refusing a man a room – because he was a serving British soldier.
Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, fights for his country in Afghanistan.
But when he was on leave, he was barred from booking into the hotel. Staff said it was against their policy to admit members of the armed forces.
Now the hotel has had to backtrack in the face of fury from MPs, squaddies and angry members of the public who flooded its phone lines with abusive and threatening calls.
The situation became so serious that staff at the £60-a-night budget hotel were forced to call the police.
Tory MP Patrick Mercer, a former lieutenant colonel, branded the hotel “a national disgrace”.
“This is a sickening way for a business to treat our armed forces,” Mr Mercer said.
“It is a huge insult to every single soldier out there, bravely fighting for our country.”
Corporal Stringer, of 23 Air Assault Support Regiment, the Royal Logistic Corps, had been visiting a wounded colleague while on leave in June after breaking his wrist jumping out of a wagon.
His mother Gaynor said he was so angry at his treatment at the Metro Hotel in Woking, Surrey, that she wrote to her local MP Hywel Williams, who took up the matter.
Mrs Stringer, who lives at Pentrefelin, in north Wales, said: “I just wanted to know why they have this policy and why they are taking it out on my son.
“He had already pre-booked a room, but when they asked for a form of identification and he showed them his military ID, the receptionist said ‘Sorry, we cannot accept you’.
“They didn’t even explain. They just said it was company policy and that was it.
“He slept in the car that night. He just couldn’t believe what had happened to one of our soldiers in his own country.
“He just didn’t know how to react.” Bob Ainsworth MP, the Armed Forces Minister, said he was going to contact the hotel to “clarify” just its policy.
Mr Ainsworth said: “The family are entitled to be disgusted. I do not believe this soldier should have been treated in this way. We are certainly taking this matter up with the hotel.”
Shadow Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: “This is a disgraceful display of ingratitude and the people responsible should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
“The military uniform and ID card should be a source of pride which opens doors for service personnel, not closes them.”
The Metro Hotel is owned by American Amusements. It is thought their refusal was prompted by problems with drunken armed forces personnel attending their nightclub.
The hotel management issued a public apology to Corporal Stringer, saying its receptionist had made a mistake. A spokesman said: “We sincerely apologise for any upset caused towards him and his family.
“The hotel management has always had an open-door policy to all its visitors and guests, including members of the military and armed forces and will continue to do so.
“On this particular occasion there was a mistake made by a duty receptionist and the hotel management sincerely apologises for that.”
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