Overview

• At East Midlands Airport staff removed a previous-flight sticker from Gould’s passport, causing a 10 mm tear deemed too severe for travel.
• TUI policy bars passports with stickers but the airline says its agents are trained not to remove them.
• Gould remained at home after an unsuccessful emergency passport application forced him to miss the £4,000 trip.
• His partner, Zowie Buckley, said the holiday was ruined and she felt anxious handling three children alone in Lanzarote.
• The case spotlights strict UK guidelines that invalidate passports for minor damage and leaves travelers with limited recourse for last-minute fixes.