A BRIT gran was reportedly thrown in jail and deported after she lost her passport on a flight to Spain during a family holiday.
Pam Tweedale, 77, jetted off from London Gatwick for the trip of a lifetime – but it instead became her biggest nightmare.
Jam PressPam, left, pictured with her daughter Sharon[/caption]
Jam PressPam, Sharon and her partner, Emily on their flight to Madrid[/caption]
Jam PressThe Brit gran was thrown into prison before being deported from Spain[/caption]
The distraught gran’s daughter Sharon Mann, 56, believes her passport slipped out of her bag after she put it under the seat during an Iberia Airlines flight to Madrid-Barajas Airport.
Retired cashier Pam realised it was missing minutes after landing in Spain – and went to Iberia’s help desk.
But her passport could not be found.
The family were then sent to the airport police, where Pam and Sharon claim they were detained.
Sharon claims they were held overnight in a cell before having to head back to the UK.
Her partner, Emily Mann, said that Pam had her passport when she got on the flight, as they had checked it just seconds before.
She told Luxury Travel Daily: “We know she had her passport when we got on the plane.
“We chucked our bags under the seats because the overhead lockers were full, and when we got off the plane, we walked for a minute, stopped at the toilet, and her passport wasn’t in her bag.
“It must have been on the plane. We panicked straight away.”
Emily said authorites tried to contact the airlines and find the passport.
But eventually they said it hadn’t been found.
“They sent us to see the guard,” Emily.
“In hindsight, we should have gone back, got on the plane and looked for it ourselves, and it would have been a different story.”
Emily claims: “The guard told me and Sharon to go and leave Pam, but we said no way.
“They were so rude.
“It took so long that we got a 160 euro fine for being late to the transfer, so I left and Sharon stayed.”
Jam PressPam with her grandchildren[/caption]
Jam PressThe gran’s passport slipped out of her bag[/caption]
Sharon said that an officer eventually came and took them to an office.
She added: “Because it was Saturday and the embassy shut on Sunday, they would send someone on Monday to do paperwork.
“She’d get her passport on Wednesday – and would have been detained until then.
The Brit woman alleged that authorites seized their phones and took their passports.
“We were put in a cell with about 12 people who didn’t speak English, including men, and they switched the lights off at 10:30pm, ” she claimed.
“It was like an old-fashioned prison with metal bunk beds. I didn’t know if I was in there with murderers.
“It was freezing, and we just had a flimsy sheet.”
The family was reportedly forced to fork out £500 each for their return flights.
Sharon had to pay a further £200 for a flight back to Spain to join the rest of the family and an additional £300 to return with them the following week.
Rules on losing passport on holiday
If you lose your UK passport on holiday, report it to the local police and obtain a report if possible.
Cancel your passport via GOV.UK and contact the nearest British embassy, high commission, or consulate for assistance.
Apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) to return home, which costs around £100 and is usually ready within two days.
Inform your travel insurance provider, as they may cover replacement costs. Once back in the UK, apply for a new passport online or via a paper form.
Source: UK Government
She claims Pam, who recently had gallbladder surgery and suffers from asthma, was denied access to her medication and went without food and water until going back to London Heathrow the following day.
Sharon alleged: “We signed some forms that were in Spanish, and we didn’t know what they said.
“We were advised not to complain, so it didn’t delay our return.
“They gave us our stuff in a black bag once we’d landed.
“We were put in a police car and escorted to the plane like criminals.
“Mum had not had any food or water and didn’t have her medication.”
Her dream holiday had been organised by her children and grandchildren to lift her spirits after the death of her husband, Allan, last year.
Emily added: “Pam’s traumatised. She’s been really confused, emotional, panicky, depressed, and doesn’t want to go out.
“We really wanted to give Pam a holiday to remember.”
Jam PressPam with her husband, Allan, before he passed away last year[/caption]