A FAMILY was left stranded at the airport after British Airways refused to let their 13-year-old son with Tourette syndrome board a flight after he shouted “bomb”.
BA staff at Gatwick turned away Mason Entwistle, 13, at the plane door after branding him a “threat”.
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Mason Entwistle, aged 13 was not allowed on a BA flight due to his ‘threats’ Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
His parents Martyn Entwistle, 39, and Gemma Entwistle, 36, had declared his condition before booking Credit: Martyn & Gemma Entwistle
The teen and his parents Martyn and Gemma were marched back to the terminal by armed police officers.
The family, from Harwich in Essex, missed two days of their holiday to Alicante, Spain, and were forced to rebook their flight with another carrier.
Last night, Martyn, 39, slammed BA for “discrimination” and said his son was left “distraught”.
He told The Jattvibe: “He was literally on the floor crying – apologising to everyone.”
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The family were marched back to the terminal by armed police officers Credit: Martyn & Gemma Entwistle
The family, who were holidaying with friends, spent around £4,000 on plane tickets for 10 people.
Before travelling on Saturday they rang BA to explain their son’s disability.
They were provided with assistance at the airport and made it through security “seamlessly” despite Mason shouting the word “bomb” several times.
Bakery owner Gemma, 36, also brought her son’s diagnosis letter and he wore a disability lanyard.
But as they waited in the jet bridge to board the plane, BA’s duty airport manager pulled them aside.
Footage of the heated exchange shows Martyn asking the airline worker if she is refusing to let Mason board because he has Tourette syndrome.
The duty manager insists: “We are not refusing him because he’s got a disability. We are refusing him because there’s been a threat made that he has a bomb in his bag.”
She later adds: “Sir, today you’ve been refused travel only based off of security and the safety and welfare of other customers, yourselves, and our cabin crew…because of the threats made on multiple occasions up at the gate and down at the aircraft. We have to take it incredibly seriously.”
Armed cops can be seen standing in the background of the video which was filmed by Martyn.
The couple’s daughter Layla, 16, was eventually allowed to board the flight with her family friends.
But Mason, his parents, and their baby Ariella, one, were escorted back to the BA help desk by police.
The couple booked into an airport hotel for the night and rebooked flights with Vueling on Jattvibeday.
Martyn said: “It’s horrendous. I’m not a very emotional person, so to speak. But, you know, my wife was in floods of tears, my daughter was in floods of tears…
“My wife and son just wanted to go home. The only reason I rebooked the flights is because I want to teach him that he can do whatever he wants.
“I don’t want him thinking ‘I can never go on holiday’. It’s about principle. I want to take him on holiday, he deserves to go on holiday.”
Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition which causes sufferers to make involuntary sounds or movements, known as tics. There is no cure but treatment can help to manage it.
It is understood BA has since offered the family a refund on their flights.
BA insists the reason the family was denied boarding was not due to Mason’s condition.
A spokeswoman said: “This was an extremely difficult, complex and distressing situation.
“Due to a number of contributing factors, the decision was made not to allow the group to travel on the flight.”
