Strange Hotel Welcome For UK Soldier?

A soldier injured in Afghanistan has been refused hotel accommodation - and while the incident has shocked politicians - it isn't the first such incident.

Last year, an NCO was verbally abused by Muslim hospital workers when he went to visit seriously injured colleagues.

This latest snub happened when the serviceman showed his military ID card at reception in the Metro Hotel in Woking - owned by a company called American Amusements - also based in Woking, and was turned away and had to spend the night sleeping in his car.

Corporal Tomos Stringer, 23, from Gwynedd, who was visiting another wounded colleague in Surrey, has since returned to war service in Afghanistan.

The veteran had broken his wrist after jumping out of his army vehicle in Afghanistan and although he was treated at a field hospital, had to be brought back to have it re-set.

He was on four weeks recovery leave when he decided to visit his friend in June and was turned away from the Metro Hotel in Woking.

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 (Tomos' mother) 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 management apologised, describing the incident when the soldier was told that members of the forces were banned, as "a mistake".

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.

"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."

However, this is not the first such incident. An Army officer was abused by Asian women while on a hospital visit to troops injured in Iraq and Afghanistan last year.

Company Sergeant Major Neil Powell was surrounded and heckled by three young women in the unprovoked verbal attack at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham in June 2007.

The women, in traditional Asian dress, ranted about the presence of British troops in Muslim countries.

He told officers about the abuse but declined to lodge an official complaint. He feared such a negative report would adversely affect the morale of young soldiers who are routinely flown to Selly Oak from the battlefield with horrific injuries.

(BMcC/KMcA)