A shocked dad has blasted airport security after he managed to fly to Poland using his four-year-old step-son’s passport.
Matthew Sutton, 44, was waved through security when he took a trip on September 11 – the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
He only realised his mistake when officials in Posnan asked him why he was using a passport in the name of his step-son Matthew Rutter.
The dad-of-four was eventually allowed in after his daughter sent a picture of his passport to them and he provided them with his driving licence.
Matthew, of Dudley, West Mids., said: “It was completely my fault that I picked up the wrong passport but it’s shocking it wasn’t picked up.
“Of all the days that you would expect airport security to be tight is September 11 but I was just waved through passport control.
“Not only is Mason clearly not me, he also has a different surname. It’s disgraceful that security didn’t detect it.”
Matthew, who maintains and tops up cash machines, booked a £58 return flight to Poland on Wizz Air for a four-day sight-seeing trip with his brother and his wife’s uncle.
When he arrived at Birmingham Airport for the 8pm flight he went through passport control and security without anyone noticing the error.
He added: “It’s ridiculous they let someone out of the country with a child’s passport.
“In the end we were horrified and disgusted at the security lapse.
“They really need to look at tightening up security.
“It just shows how easy it is to get onto a flight using a dodgy passport. I could have been anyone.
“We laughed about it at the time but when we’d got to the hotel we were shocked and we’d thought that this was quite a serious security breach.
“In Poland I showed them my driving licence and got my step daughter to send a picture of my passport on Snapchat before they would even let me leave the airport.”
Matthew called the British Embassy and was told he would not be allowed back into the UK without his passport so he was forced to pay £150 for a courier to deliver it to him.
Wife Michelle Sutton, 40, said: “I know he was a stupid idiot for picking up the wrong passport but if it the mistake had been picked up there I could have driven to the airport very easily.
“I was really stressed because I haven’t got any money in my account and we couldn’t afford to pay for a courier to take out his passport.
“I’m working at a tanning studio but luckily my boss lent me the money so I could arrange for DHL to courier the passport to him.”
A spokesman from Wizz Air said: “The Wizz Air check-in and boarding process at each airport is handled by a contracted ground handling agent who is responsible for checking all passenger’s travel documents.
“Whilst we do not comment on individual cases, the airline is looking into this issue together with its agent at Birmingham Airport to clarify the events of this particular situation, and prevent it happening again.
“To avoid any inconvenience, Wizz Air kindly reminds all customers to ensure they have the necessary and valid travel documents required of the countries flown from, through or into.”
