.................. he was in the Army'
The hotel which refused to give a room to a soldier who had been wounded in Afghanistan was forced to make an apology last night.
Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, had booked to stay at the Metro Hotel, in Woking, Surrey, while helping organise the funeral of a friend killed in action.
On arrival, reception desk staff asked him for identification and he handed them his military pass.
Corporal Stringer, who was not dressed in uniform at the time, was astonished when they turned him away, claiming it was not company policy to allow Armed Forces personnel to stay at the hotel.
Yesterday the Metro Hotel, owned by American Amusements Ltd, also based in Woking, at first declined to comment.
But after news of Corporal Stringer's treatment emerged, it was flooded with angry calls from the public and issued an apology, blaming a mistake made by the receptionist on duty.
Apology: The Metro Hotel in Woking, Surrey
A spokesman for the hotel said: 'The Metro sincerely apologises for any upset caused towards Corporal Stringer 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.'
Turned away: Corporal Tomos Stringer was refused entry to a hotel in Surrey because he works for the military
Last night his mother Gaynor, 60, criticised the 'outrageous' treatment of her son. She has contacted Defence Minister Derek Twigg, who called the hotel's actions 'deplorable'.
Mrs Stringer, a volunteer in a charity shop, said: 'It's a disgraceful way to treat someone who is prepared to give his life for Queen and country.
'Soldiers in America are treated like heroes and get applauded everywhere they go, but our boys are being treated like scum.
'I find it incredible that a hotel is even allowed to effectively ban a customer because of their choice of career – especially when that career is protecting our country.'
Corporal Stringer, who serves with the 3rd Air Assault Support Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps, based in Colchester, is now back on the frontline, fighting in Helmand province.
He joined the Army at 16 and served in Iraq before being posted to Afghanistan. He is due to return home from his second tour of the country at the end of the month.
His father Philip, a 79-year-old retired printer who served three years with the Royal Horse Artillery, called for a change in the law to prevent something similar happening in the future.
Outraged: Gaynor Stringer with a photo of her son Tomos, who is now back in Afghanistan
'My son thought the whole thing was awful,' he said. 'Had this happened to a Muslim or black person it would, quite rightly, have been discrimination. It should be the same to turn away someone because he's a soldier.
'Tomos ended up sleeping in his car with his arm in plaster, which is terrible.'
The incident occurred on June 22 while Corporal Stringer, of Pentrefelin, Criccieth, North Wales, was on four weeks' recovery leave.
He had broken his wrist jumping from his military wagon when a truck in front hit a roadside bomb. Doctors sent him home for further treatment after it failed to heal.
While in Britain, he decided to visit a friend to see if he could help with preparations for the funeral of a colleague killed in Afghanistan.
Corporal Stringer made a reservation at the Metro, a £60-a-night budget hotel, but when he went to check in at around 10pm, dressed in his civvies, he was refused entry.
He asked to see the manager, but staff claimed he was unavailable. By then it was too late to find another room in the town, so he decided to spend the night in his car outside.
A woman who answered the door at the £2million Surrey home of American Amusements' director Michael Appleton said: 'Mr Appleton will not be making a comment.'
Source: Daily Mail UK, September 5, 2008 
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