Oh goodness, this really is the stuff of family holiday nightmares: realising one of you can't fly because you've forgotten that all-important PASSPORT ? ?

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But, just imagine that the issue came up flying HOME rather than flying out - and that it wasn't because you'd lost it - but was, in fact, because you'd never had one in the first place ?

That's exactly what happened to a family from Bangor, Ireland, who travelled from their local airport to France with 4 passports - for mum and dad and the 2 grandparents.

But there was no documentation for 11-month-old Lara, because mum Holly hadn't realised she needed any.

(In the 'old' days a child could travel on an adult passport - so maybe that's where the confusion came in.)

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Now, somehow, the group of 5 managed to get on their flight despite being a passport short - but weren't so lucky on the return journey, when, at the airport in France, they were asked for Lara's passport.

Holly told Belfast Live:

“After several phone calls the lady from easyJet rang the British embassy and they said there is no chance somebody has flown from the UK without a passport.

“However, we were there and we had photos of her on the plane. She was on our boarding pass. But they would not allow us to fly home.”

“We needed all our birth certificates for myself, my husband, my child and both sets of grandparents to be posted out to France.

“Because Lara was not on the passport system they had to get every document possible to confirm who she was.”

After 5 days the family were issued with emergency documents and were able to fly home, and following a complaint by Holly, easyJet offered compensation.

Holly said: “I totally admit I arrived at the airport without her passport. I am at fault. But I am not at fault for being flown to France.”

Hmmm, we reckon this story is a very good reminder to make sure you've got a passport for baby if you're planning to head abroad any time soon.

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Authors

Tara BreathnachContent Editor and Social Media Producer

Tara is mum to 1 daughter, Bodhi Rae, and has worked as Content Editor and Social Media Producer at MadeForMums since 2015

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