Wounded UK Soldier Refused Hotel Room

**Walking Dead** · 5th September 2008 00:01

Haven't posted in a bit - working myself to death. Anyway, want to share this piece of news. Curious about comments from our UK folk.

Reports: U.K. soldier had to sleep in car because of hotel's 'no military' policy - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

Reports: U.K. soldier had to sleep in car because of hotel's 'no military' policy

Citing the hotel's "no military personnel" policy, a clerk refused to accommodate a U.K. soldier while he was home on leave from Afghanistan, according to the British press.

Cpl. Tomos Stringer slept in his car after Metro Hotel turned him away in June, news organizations report.

“He was back from Afghanistan after breaking his wrist when he fell out of his truck when they were under fire. Just before he went back he wanted to go down to Surrey to help with the preparations for a friend's funeral," Gaynor Stringer, the soldier's mother, tells the Daily Post in Wales. “When he went to check in everything was fine until they asked him for ID and he produced his military pass. That’s when they refused to give him a room."

BBC News says the hotel in Woking, Surrey, has apologized, but Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth wants "an explanation of their policy." (The apology is quoted at the bottom of this Daily Mail story.)

Stringer's mother says it's "heartbreaking" to see her son treated with such disrespect. “Soldiers don’t get treated like this in America," she tells the paper. "There they are treated like heroes but here they are being treated like scum."

The Times of London says the soldier's supporters want to punish the hotel.

Update at 1:44 p.m. ET: BBC News is now reporting "The Metro had experienced problems with soldiers staying there and staff had been asked to be 'cautious.' But it admitted a 'mistake' in this case."

Update

Soldier forced to sleep in car after hotel refuses him a room - Times Online

A hotel that refused an injured soldier a room, forcing him to spend the night in his car, was backed into issuing a grovelling apology yesterday after receiving a barrage of abusive phone calls.

The Metro Hotel, in Woking, Surrey, called the police as its phone lines were flooded with angry and threatening calls from the public.

The attack on the switchboards came after it emerged that Corporal Tomos Stringer, 24, had been told that it was company policy not to accept members of the Armed Forces.

A soldier since the age of 16 and veteran of multiple tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, Corporal Stringer had travelled to Surrey to help with funeral preparations for a friend killed in action.

The corporal, who was not in uniform, presented his warrant card when asked by the hotel for proof of identity. After being refused a room, he had to bed down in his car, with his wrist, broken during a convoy ambush, encased in plaster.

Corporal Stringer’s MP, Hywel Williams, Derek Twigg, the Defence Minister, and Bob Ainsworth, the Armed Forces Minister, have all written to the hotel. After a resolute silence, the hotel, owned by a company called American Amusements, finally issued a statement: “The Metro Hotel, Woking, sincerely regrets 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.” The receptionist had made a mistake, it added.

Corporal Stringer, of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, has returned to Afghanistan. His mother, Gaynor Stringer, from Criccieth, North Wales, told The Times: “I’m very, very angry. It’s discrimination. They would never get away with it if it was against someone of ethnic origin.”

She added: “In America, they treat soldiers as heroes. We went to Disney World with Tomos and the whole family was moved to the front of the lines. Everybody was clapping and cheering. Here, soldiers can’t even get a bed for the night.”

**ace16807** · 5th September 2008 01:21

That's a shame... It seems like there are stories like this all over the place... They should crack down on institutions like this.

**NapalmHeart** · 5th September 2008 08:42

At the very least, military personnel should be welcomed at any such establishment and be given a big discount on the room rate. This fine young man should be given a free pass for life at any hotel owned by the parent company.

**VarSity** · 5th September 2008 08:55

I went on the world tour with the outrage bus on this one. If they had tried to keep him out because of his race or sexual preferences they would be closed down... so why is it ok to discriminate based on his job! Especially when he serves his country!

**dave lukins** · 5th September 2008 09:13

Originally Posted by VarSity

I went on the world tour with the outrage bus on this one. If they had tried to keep him out because of his race or sexual preferences they would be closed down... so why is it ok to discriminate based on his job! Especially when he serves his country!

Varsity, you and I know that this is not an isolated incident

The Train episode..Uniforms in some towns and cities with high ethnic population...clubs in certain areas who won't allow Soldiers in etc. the list goes on.

There is one part of the Hotel statement which caught my eye:

The hotel management has always had an open-door policy to all its visitors and guests, including members of the military and Armed Forces.”

who else are they talking about?..I thought the military and the Armed Forces were one and the same.

**sohamsri** · 5th September 2008 09:19

This is horrible..

**VarSity** · 5th September 2008 09:25

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Varsity, you and I know that this is not an isolated incident

The Train episode..Uniforms in some towns and cities with high ethnic population...clubs in certain areas who won't allow Soldiers in etc. the list goes on.

Indeed, I remember reading about one guy who was turned away from buying petrol (that's 'Gas' to my American cousins... even though its a liquid

)when he was in uniform.

There is a total lack of respect in the UK, it honestly does make me ashamed to be a civilian at times.

**dave lukins** · 5th September 2008 10:02

Originally Posted by VarSity

Indeed, I remember reading about one guy who was turned away from buying petrol (that's 'Gas' to my American cousins... even though its a liquid

)when he was in uniform.

There is a total lack of respect in the UK, it honestly does make me ashamed to be a civilian at times.

I have just been on the BBC News link where there is a "have your say" option and this is being discussed as we speak. Some of the replies to the Question "do we show respect to our AForces" will make your toes curl.

**VarSity** · 5th September 2008 10:47

The 'Have your say' section always sends my head spinning, especially when its anything even remotely connected to the military.

**Ray** · 5th September 2008 11:27

Very odd and unfortunate.

In the olden days the Army was highly respected in the UK.

I wonder what is the remedy since the hotels and restaurants reserve the right on admission.

**sourkraut115** · 6th September 2008 01:06

There is really only one remedy, which is boycott; not only by soldiers but by families, friends, and anybody else who cares. I think the hotel realized this very quickly, thus the apology.

The other part of this is to look at the past behavior of those military personnel who apparently caused this odd prohibition... an example of why it is important to maintain professionalism on and off duty.

**dave lukins** · 6th September 2008 01:30

Originally Posted by sourkraut115

There is really only one remedy, which is boycott; not only by soldiers but by families, friends, and anybody else who cares. I think the hotel realized this very quickly, thus the apology.

The other part of this is to look at the past behavior of those military personnel who apparently caused this odd prohibition... an example of why it is important to maintain professionalism on and off duty.

Yes..It would be naive to think that the Armed Forces are totally Innocent and all are ill treated . As a Soldier of almost a quarter of a Century, hand on heart I can say we work hard and play hard, the trouble is with the Play Hard

A tad boisterous would be an under statement at times

C'est la Vie

**Exarecr** · 6th September 2008 09:55

Originally Posted by dave lukins

Yes..It would be naive to think that the Armed Forces are totally Innocent and all are ill treated . As a Soldier of almost a quarter of a Century, hand on heart I can say we work hard and play hard, the trouble is with the Play Hard

A tad boisterous would be an under statement at times

C'est la Vie

Bang on with this one bud.

**Exarecr** · 6th September 2008 10:00

I mean it,s not like the Canadians through a couple of Wars with the Brits in the field and in England didn,t have a tad of ale on occasion.

**VarSity** · 6th September 2008 10:32

Still the is a difference between a dozen half cut soldiers and one bloke with a busted hand booking a room.

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