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Hotel forced to apologise after it refused wounded British soldier a hotel room 'because he was in the Army'
Last updated at 09:15am on 05.09.08
Apology: The Metro Hotel in Woking, Surrey
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.
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.'
Reader views (24)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I am thankful for the men and women that step out and fight for us everyday and its wimps like James, N1 and the Metro Hotel that should be sleeping outside.
They are pinheads. I will not use this hotel ever and will pass the word along. Shame on anyone that looks down on our soldiers.
- Sarah, sussex,usa
"please feel free to leave the United Kingdom as you are not wanted here.
- Mark, Hong Kong"
Nice one Mark!
- Paul, Enfield
I hope they're put out of business by this and I hope the receptionist was sacked immediately. I also hate it when someone plainly in the wrong and being rude says to their upset client that the manager 'isn't available' - I would have been fuming too. I feel the receptionist ought to be named and shamed.
I would like to think that had the gentleman concerned nipped round the corner to the Holiday Inn and explained what had happened they would have given him a room.
- Isabel, woking
Jane in Inverness clearly knows no soldiers - and clearly will not want their help the next time the Government needs nearby cow carcasses heaped up and burned (BSE crisis) or to man her local fire engine (fireman's strike) or to guard the local airport (suspected Al Quaeda attack) or just generally protect her in the event of a war. The UK is going through an unprecedented time of peace: statistically it cannot go on forever. Our soldiers are great lads doing a great job: there are always excepts to the rule - if we find an errant member of any group of people (based on race, religion, ideology, eat habits - whatever) it is tempting to blame the whole group. If you don't like British soldiers helping the democratic government of another country at their own request, vote for someone else in the General Elections who might change it: Don't take it out on an individual soldier.
- Roz, Chamonix, France
This is becoming more common now, someone should get a compulsory purchase order, knock down this hotel and build a hostel for ex soldiers who are treated in the same disgusting way Vietnam vets were back in the 70s.
- Gordon, UK
As a retired United States Marine that is concerned about our veterans as well as our allies I would suggest that this hotel be sued in court for discrimination. It's clearly evident that those that receive the benefits and sacrifices that includes lives lost do not show one bit of appreciation or concern. Very disturbing!
Chief Warrant Officer Richard E. Poulin USMC(Ret.)
- Richard Poulin, Okinawa, Japan
Jane from Inverness.
How could you make the wild assumptions littered through your comment? What a dumb ass. Would you include armed police into your paranoid mumblings?
- Britman, Atlanta, Georgia, USA formerly of Rutland, England
Jane from Inverness - How ignorant are you! If you feel our armed services, regardless of which conflicts they are ordered to fight in, are so unworthy, please feel free to leave the United Kingdom as you are not wanted here.
- Mark, Hong Kong
As abominable as these actions are by the hotel, equally abominable are the comments here by Jane and James. Jane is just plain ignorant. And James, you should not stereotype an entire group of people based on the actions of a few. I don't doubt that you have seen military personal misbehaving. However, you have probably seen non-military personal misbehaving as well. Merely because you have seen a few misbehaving doesn't mean the vast majority of these young men and women are well behaved individuals.
If the hotel has had problems in the past it should take action against those individuals responsible, not the an entire group.
- Alex, SF CA
Dear Jane from Inverness
After reading your inane comment I am glad that I live in the USA where the people handling our security are given the respect that they deserve.
- Ray Crampton, Fairfax California USA
Jane, I am amazed at your ignorance, bigotry and obvious bias against soldiers. Obviously you do not know many soldiers. I figured that English would better support their soldiers, their sons and daughters. How absolutely despicable and pathetic.
Jane do you work for the hotel?
- Stefan, Lock
And what of the doctors, nurses, dental specialists, engineers, pilots, and a hundred and one other specialities Jane. Are they all louts too?
You paint with broad stokes when you get on a high horse, don't you.
- Rogan, DFW TX
Many people behave badly or can be "wild and uncouth", soldiers are just human beings after all. They have as much a right as anyone to stay the night in a hotel. Trained killers? Do you really think someone exposed to the death and bloodshed that comes from war would really want to see more? Let alone kill innocent, fellow countrymen? Soldiers are part of the army, the army is there to protect the country. Without it's army, Britain would have never became the power it did. You have them to thank, not him personally, but the others who do/did what he does. A hotel should definitely not turn him away.That is childish and ridiculous. His father was bang on, if a black or Muslim person was told "You can't stay here because you're black/Muslim" there would be uproar
- Dan, London
Firstly I hope you sacked the receptionist. What a mistake. Secondly I stayed at this hotel several weeks ago, there were 7 of us in total. Had I known this I would not have stayed there. I can assure you I will never stay there again, or any hotel linked to this one.
- Tricia Davies, U.K.
It is likely that military personnel have behaved badly in the past. Soldiers on leave can be wild and uncouth. It also seems to be valid for a hotel to have an ethical policy and soldiers are trained killers. Not everyone admires them or thinks they are doing a worthwhile job. Many go into the forces for the trainings and early pension, or simply because they can't think of anything better to do and are violently disposed people by nature. The fact that they may be injured or killed themselves doesn't seem to occur to them. They are not defending our country these days.
- Jane, inverness
Totally unacceptable behaviour on the part of the hotel. As an ex serviceman this had me fuming this morning. At least the travellers of the world know where not to stay now!
- Steve, London
I have pasted links to this page on several forums and am actively discouraging people to have any dealings with the Metro Hotel in Woking. The best way to show our displeasure is to boycott the place. If that's the way they want to treat our service personnel, then the hotel can rot for all I care.
- Chris, Oxford
Join the Facebook Group "Boycott the Metro Hotel in Woking, UK". Started this morning and growing fast. Invite all your friends to join too!
- Stephen Tucker, Milton Keynes, UK
How do the Uk get to this point? On the one hand, a hotel is allowed to refuse accommodation to someone who has served his country. On the other, the human rights industry kicks into action to protect foreign nationals (an Ethiopian) who has done nothing more that arrive in this country, get a passport and then drain us of resources without giving anything. It's not right.
- Lorna, London
I've stayed there and he certainly didn't miss much. there are much better hotels in Woking to stay at.
- Jonny, London
Disgusted! The Metro staff should be hauled into a court and fined for their crass stupidity and discrimination. England eh - what a mess!
- Michael, London
That's very sad. A soldier home from battle and they can't accommodate him. He must have felt terrible. Military personnel from any country must be held in high regard by there people an allies. He would be welcomed in my home as I welcome my countrymen serving.
Good luck and be safe.
- Steve, New York, N.Y. USA
Please publish the name of the hotel chain and the name of the chief executive. These people should be publicly shamed. Also the local trading standards officers should be investigating what is clearly a discriminatory policy.
- Mark, London
If I owned a hotel I would not have any of our armed forces in. Having seen their behaviour on trains in and out of uniform and in town centres in recent years, they would be better off sleeping in a bus shelter.
- James, N1
