PRESS RELEASE: UK Deed Poll Service
Written: Wednesday 29th April, 2009
THAT'S NOT MY NAME
NEWS COPY -- WITH PICTURES
A kind-hearted mum who raised #4,000 for Children In Need by changing her name to Pudsey Bear was grounded yesterday (Tues) - after she was refused a passport in her new name.
Receptionist Eileen De Bont, 37, legally adopted the name of the BBC appeal's one-eyed teddy and changed her documents accordingly.
But when she applied for a new passport as Pudsey Bear her application was refused - on the grounds it was 'frivolous'.
Yesterday Pudsey - who is now unable to travel overseas - said: ''I don't know what to do. It's utterly ridiculous. I now don't have a passport.
''My old one expired in the October and they have told me they won't issue one in the name of Pudsey Bear.
''They say they will only issue me one as Eileen De Bont, but that's not my name. I don't have any documents with that name on now.
''If I get a passport in the name of Eileen I'm going to have trouble checking into hotels, hiring cars and even changing money.''
Divorced mother-of-two Eileen of Prestatyn, north Wales, changed her name in the run-up to Children in Need last year.
She came up with the idea to raise cash for needy kids and asked people to put forward some possible new monikers.
Pudsey Bear came top - beating Vauxhall Frontera, Scunthorpe Travelodge and Marge Simpson - and Eileen raked in #4,000 for the appeal.
She changed her name online legally via the UK Deed Poll Service and sent off her driver's licence, bank cards, credit cards and tax forms to have them altered.
Her bank card now reads 'Mrs P Bear', driving licence 'Mrs Pudsey Bear', council tax statements 'Ms Pudsey Bear' and the Inland Revenue lists her as 'Mrs Pudsey Bear'.
But she fell foul of the Identity & Passport Service, whose response - which was ironically addressed to 'Mrs Bear' - read: ''Our Policy section has made a decision not to allow the change to be implemented.''
It continued: ''It is deemed to be a frivolous change of name, which would bring IPS into disrepute. It could also pose problems for yourself at border control in some countries. IPS is not questioning the validity of the Deed Poll, however, it is not prepared to issue a passport in a frivolous name which could compromise our mission statement 'safeguarding your identity'.''
But Pudsey, who has two daughters aged 13 and ten, is furious because she is now unable to fly abroad for family holidays.
She said: ''I love my new name. It has become part of my life. It's who I am. My girls both call me 'Mummy Bear' and always ask for my special bear hugs.
''And my boyfriend, who I met after I changed my name, always calls me 'Pudsey'.
''I'm not going to change it back - so I don't know where I go from here.
''I don't understand. People with far more ridiculous names than Pudsey Bear have got passports.
''Jamie and Jools Oliver's daughters are Petal Blossom Rainbow, Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Jonathan Ross's is called Betty Kitten - is Pudsey Bear that different to Betty Kitten?
''I thought it was a person's right to change their name if they want to - or is this another example of our Big Brother society?''
Yesterday a spokesman for the IPS said: ''A UK passport is important evidence of identity and is internationally recognised. The purpose of the Identity and Passport Service is to safeguard an individual's identity and prevent misuse and fraud.
''Where an applicant has voluntarily changed their name, the Identity and Passport Service will make further enquiries to establish that the intention to use the new name is legitimate, consistent, permanent and genuine.
''If the name change is temporary, for the purpose of publicity, for commercial reasons or for frivolous reasons then the Identity and Passport Service may consider refusing an application.''
Mike Barratt of UK Deed Poll Service branded the decision a dangerous precedent and added: ''There is no legal basis for this. It's unnecessary interference from a public authority in Ms Bear's private life that is in breach of her human rights.
''If the passport office is allowed to act in this fascist manner, does this mean they will refuse a passport to Jamie Oliver's newborn because they deem the name Petal Blossom Rainbow as frivolous?
''And will they refuse to renew Jonathan Ross's children's passports because his children
have the frivolous names of Honey Kinny and Betty Kitten?
''What right does a Home Office civil servant have to arbitrarily decide what name British people are known by? This authoritarian and meddling act is another demonstration of this government acting like a nanny state.
''It is disgraceful that Ms Bear is now prevented from travelling overseas. Is this proportionate punishment for Ms Bear's fund raising efforts?''
ENDS
