A BOY was left "sobbing" after being forced to miss his school holiday abroad due to delays with passport renewals.
Mum Kirsty Morgan said she sent off her 10-year-old son Reuben's passport more than a month before his trip to the ski resort of Bormio in Italy.
However, she claimed it was repeatedly delayed – meaning she had to tell him on the day that he couldn't join his friends.
She told Liverpool Echo: "I was told I could have it cancelled and an emergency one reissued if I went to the passport office, so I did three times only to be told by a manager there was nothing they could do.
"No one could tell me exactly where my son's passport was."
She said she was even told to go to Liverpool John Lennon Airport to pick up the passport in person, only to then be told she couldn't.
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Kirsty, 39, added that some people had been given their passports back within two weeks, despite theirs being their first passport, while Reuben's was a renewal.
She added that it was the most "heartbreaking experience" telling him he couldn't go with his friends, saying he was "devastated, screaming and sobbing".
A Passport Office spokesperson said that they currently advise Brits to allow up to 10 weeks to get a new passport or passport renewal, although there are one-week fast track options.
Earlier this month, it was reported that thousands of UK passports had been lost in the post, causing Brits to have to cancel their holiday plans.
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The Passport Office has pinned the blame on delivery firm TNT, who bagged an exclusive multi-million-pound contract to distribute the documents.
But despite the megabucks deal, a whopping 1,200 passports or supporting documents were lost in the first six months of last year.
Some exasperated Brits have even had their passports delivered to the wrong house while desperate punters have even told how they drove from depot to depot to try and find their documents after booking flights abroad.
Here is everything you need to know about applying for your child's first passport.
Brits will now be given a blue passport when they apply for a new one, with the EU burgundy versions being phased out.
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But make sure it is in good condition before travelling, as one woman was banned from her flight due to them claiming there was mould on her passport.
Avoid the novelty stamps too, as they could also get you banned from flying.
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