From the BBC website (I couldn't get the link to work!) " Soldier is refused room at hotel A soldier home on leave after being injured in Afghanistan was refused a room by a hotel when he showed his military ID card at reception. Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, from Gwynedd, was visiting a wounded colleague in Surrey when he was turned away from the Metro Hotel in Woking. He spent the night in his car after being told it was management policy not to accept military personnel. The hotel has declined to comment on the matter. Cpl Stringer, of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, has since returned to Afghanistan but his mother, Gaynor Stringer, said he remains angry at the incident. She said her son broke his wrist after jumping out of his wagon in Afghanistan. He was treated at a field hospital but was brought back to have it re-set and was on four weeks recovery leave when he decided to visit his friend in June. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Mrs Stringer, who lives at Pentrefelin, near Criccieth, said: "I can't believe this has happened to one of our soldiers in his own country. He just didn't know how to react. "We've been to America and their military get treated like heroes over there. "I think it's terrible they [UK service personnel] can't even wear their uniform with pride." Defence Minister Derek Twigg said: "This case is especially egregious given that the individual concerned was on injury leave from Afghanistan and visiting an injured colleague. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Hotel refuses to host soldier "The government and, it is fair to say, the vast majority of people in this country, hold the professionalism, courage and contribution made by all those who serve, and have served in the armed forces in very high regard. "I am delighted that the armed forces generally enjoy immense respect and gratitude on the part of the nation and that contrary sentiments are rare, though evidently they exist." Caernarfon MP Hywel Williams said he intended to take the matter further when he had a reply to his letter to the hotel. He said: "I was astonished when I heard the story from Mrs Stringer. I can't see why any hotel would want to refuse accommodation to a serving member of the armed forces anyway. "Tomos was not in his uniform, he was a traveller like anyone else." The Metro Hotel is owned by a company called American Amusements Ltd, also based in Woking. No-one was available to comment. " I'm almost speechless! Does the hotel group really operate such a policy? If so, why? Their silence is deafening isn't it?
That is an absolute disgrace and surely open to a discrimination case. There will undoubtedly be more on this. Please keep an eye open for the contimuing saga.
My first reaction was the same as yours ... but I wonder if there is another side to the story ?? ..... after all - it was his mother who gave the story to the newspapers ! A few things in the story don't add up .... eg surely theres more than one hotel in Woking .... why did he even have to sleep in his car ?? - something just doesn't seem quite right there !:noidea: Though I did find this .... looks like people are jumping in now .... ! BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Soldier ban explanation demanded
Ignorant so-and-so's. If I was that soldier, I would have made one phone call - to the Daily Mail and asked them to meet me at the hotel reception. I think an apology would have been forthcoming even quicker. To be fair I think there is more appreciation and admiration for our armed forced now than there was a few years back - even though it takes Jeremy Clarkson to whip up that appreciation! But our society remains highly polarised and there are still a considerable number of "right-on" types who tend to automatically side with their country's enemies.
