Our £5,000 Disneyland Paris holiday was ruined after I was sent a Libyan stranger’s passport instead of mine
A FAMILY's £5,000 trip to Disneyland Paris was ruined after they were sent the wrong passport.
Katie Taylor forked out £200 to fast-track her application to make sure she had the document ready for the dream holiday.
But instead of her own being delivered, the 19-year-old received one belonging to a Libyan man instead.
The Taylors frantically tried to contact the Passport Office to inform them of the mix-up, but each time they called they were reportedly told everyone was "too busy" to help.
Almost a week later and Katie, from Kent, still hasn't received an explanation - or been told where her passport might be.
And she and her brother George fear it could end up in the wrong hands.
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George, a security guard, said: "We've had absolutely nothing from them, no explanation at all.
"It is massively sensitive information. It's appalling and very worrying.
"The first thing we did was call the office to let them know, but apparently they're not accepting calls at the moment because they are too busy.
"We handed the man's passport to the police, but the biggest concern now is that someone else is using my sister's passport."
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Katie and George had been due to go to Disneyland Paris with their parents and nan on April 11 as a post-Covid treat.
But after realising Katie's passport had expired, the family postponed their £5,000 trip to October.
They were, however, desperate to process Katie's application for a new one as soon as possible, so coughed up £200 for a face-to-face appointment in London.
When she arrived, the office had "no idea" where her documents had got to and said they must have "got lost in the system" - and they still can't provide any answers.
George said: "It was supposed to be a nice family holiday, something to get us through Covid, but now this."
A spokesperson from the Passport Office confirmed the matter was being investigated.
They added: "While the mis-delivery of documents is rare, the safety of our customers’ personal data is of paramount importance.
"Every attempt is made to recover documents that have been sent in error and any affected individuals are contacted as quickly as possible.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience that this error has caused to Miss Taylor.
"We have now contacted Miss Taylor to confirm her passport has now been issued."
PASSPORT CHAOS
Almost one million Brits could miss out on booked summer holidays due to passport processing delays, experts have warned.
People are urged to apply for documents at least 10 weeks in advance as demand recovers post-pandemic, with odds of a "successful and timely renewal" estimated at two to one.
Most holidaymakers are said to be waiting around 10 to 12 weeks, but some have reported delays of up to five months.
Post-Brexit EU rules mean Brit passports must have at least three months remaining.
But some airlines have been banning travellers from boarding certain flights unless they have six months left.
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And other rules mean anyone with more than 10 years on their passport can no longer use the additional months.
Past rules allowed Brits to roll over up to nine months from their previous document, up to a maximum 10 years and nine months - but these are no longer valid.
