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CHRISTMAS CHAOS

British family face being stuck in Switzerland after leaving their passports on the PLANE

A BRITISH family face being left stuck in Switzerland after their daughter left their passports on the plane.

Victoria Walker, 29, travelled from Manchester Airport with her mum, husband and two children Arabella, 3 and Tyler-Brooke, 10, yesterday morning.

A family face being stuck in Switzerland after leaving their passports on the plane
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A family face being stuck in Switzerland after leaving their passports on the planeCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

The family were heading to Switzerland on EasyJet flight EZY1949 for a skiing holiday, but their dream break turned into a nightmare when they got off the plane in Geneva.

Beautician Victoria was horrified as the family approached immigration control and realised her daughter had put the passports in the pocket of the seat in front of them and forgot about them.

By the time the family realised, their plane was already on its way back to Manchester.

To make matters worse, the British Embassy in Switzerland is closed until the new year and the family cannot return home to the UK without a valid passport.

Victoria said: "My daughter completely forgot until we couldn't find them at border control but she was too scared to say.

They were unable to leave the airport and were held by Swiss authorities
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They were unable to leave the airport and were held by Swiss authoritiesCredit: Facebook

"By the time she told me, the plane had already left and was on the way back to Manchester."

Victoria said she was placed in an immigration room and told the family could stay in Switzerland, but they would be unable to return to the UK without their passports.

She added: "I can't fault the Swiss Immigration at all, they were nothing but supportive and helpful.

"Immigration have allowed us into the country however we cannot leave as the UK will not accept us back into the country without passports.

"I have my driving license however I have nothing else to prove who my girls are.

"I am currently stuck in Switzerland, unable to fly home or even hire a car, along with my two children, one of which is a baby and the Embassy is now closed until the new year."

Victoria has been left stressed that they won't make it home
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Victoria has been left worried about getting home with her daughtersCredit: Facebook

Victoria has demanded prime minister Boris Johnson help her family get home after I'm A Celeb's Georgina Toffolo was released from an immigration centre after her passport was deemed invalid.

She said: "If Boris Johnson can get Georgia Toffolo home he can do the same for me too right?"

Thankfully, Swiss authorities have since let them enter the country, and are staying in Thollon-les-Mémises in the French Alps.

Victoria is now desperately attempting to recover her passports from the plane, which is believed to have travelled back to Manchester before another flight to Spain.

The family are due to return on December 30, but now face an anxious wait to discover if their passports will be found and returned.

Victoria added: "I spoke to Manchester Airport this morning and they've said they don't haven't anything and just to keep calling back. We are just stuck now.

"My father is ill and we reluctantly came abroad knowing we could rush back if anything happens.

"Now I am worried, we can't leave the country.

"I want to make things normal so it doesn't ruin the girls Christmas but as yet it's not been possible to think about anything else."


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She has since added on her Facebook page that a number of strangers have since offered to help.

: "I’ve had people in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool all offer to collect the passports and post to me if they arrive at any of those airports and 1 person offer to bring the passports with her to Geneva when she flies out in 2 days."

She slammed easyJet for their "shameful level of customer service," adding: "I think easyJet need to seriously rethink their level of ‘customer service’ when in 4 hours they have managed to tell me absolutely nothing that I didn’t already know and admit there is nothing they can do for me."

However, an easyJet spokesperson explained their passports had been found, and would be returned to the family.

They told Sun Online Travel: "We are doing everything possible to help to reunite the family with their passports which have been found as quickly as possible. We are working with them and the authorities so that they have the documentation they need for their return flight."

Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo has been detained in The Maldives

Earlier this week, I'm A Celeb star Georgia Toffolo was banned from leaving the Maldives due to her passport being damaged.

She was eventually released from the immigration centre and was able to fly home.

A woman from Essex thought she had lost her passport during an Ibiza holiday and waited another four days for a new one - only to spot it near her feet in a photograph earlier that week.

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