Mrs Pudsey Bear

galwayrush · 03-05-2009 5:29pm #1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8030523.stm

The Home Office has said it will "look again" into the case of a woman who changed her name to Pudsey Bear and had been fighting to get a passport issued.

The dental receptionist, 37, from Denbighshire had been told by officials her new name was "frivolous" and could cause her problems at border controls.

She said her two daughters called her "Mummy Bear" and she was Mrs Bear on her driving licence and bank cards.

A Home Office spokesman said it would consider if a passport could be issued.

Mrs Bear, from Prestatyn, was known by her original name of Eileen de Bont until she raised £4,000 through an online auction for the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal last year.

She decided to change her name to the appeal's mascot Pudsey Bear by deed poll.

She said: "We had had a really very difficult year and I just thought I would do something for us, to be honest."

There are lots of pop stars who call their children by wackier names and they manage to get a passport
Mrs Pudsey Bear

Mrs Bear started the process of applying for a new passport in her adopted name soon after Children in Need day last November.

"I had already got my driving licence, bank cards and even changed my name by deed poll to Mrs Pudsey Bear, " she said.

"Even my payslip has Mrs Bear on it."

Daughters Emily, 13, and Ellen, 10 had started referring to their mother as "Mummy Bear".

"So I was really disappointed to get this reply from the passport service saying they could not change my name because it was frivolous and could bring the passport service into disrepute.

Pudsey bear
Pudsey Bear the mascot appears up and down the country

"They also said that they had to safeguard my identity.

"There are lots of pop stars who call their children by wackier names and they manage to get a passport."

She said she was planning to take a break abroad later this year so a passport which matches her other documentation was essential.

Mrs Bear admitted that she had originally only planned to keep her Pudsey name for a year, but she said she did not expect it would create "so much of a palaver".

"At the end of the day I never expected to raise that amount of money.

Now, she said she is thinking of retaining it for longer, and then changing it again to raise more money for charity. She is even planning to release her one Pudsey Bear song for charity.

Vale of Clwyd Labour MP Chris Ruane confirmed his office had received some correspondence from Mrs Bear and he will be raising the matter with the passport service.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS), in their letter to Mrs Bear, wrote: "It is deemed to be a frivolous change of name, which would bring IPS into disrepute. It could also pose problems for you at border control in some countries."

But in a statement issued by the IPS on Sunday, a spokesman said: "We have to protect the integrity of the British passport as it is one of the most respected in the world, however, we will certainly look at this case again, and consider whether there could be any justification in allowing a passport to be issued in a name of Pudsey Bear"

wudangclan · 03-05-2009 5:37pm

just when goldilocks thought it was safe to come out of witness protection

emeraldstar · 03-05-2009 5:40pm

"protect the integrity of the British passport" ...WTF?

My name is URL · 03-05-2009 5:45pm

Fcuking moronic

It'll probably cost them thousands to 'look at the case again', they should just allow her to raise money and then send her off to sh!t in the woods

galwayrush · 03-05-2009 5:50pm

Welsh people.:P

Lilyblue · 03-05-2009 5:56pm

Bear faced cheek

Saibh · 03-05-2009 6:18pm

She is even planning to release her one Pudsey Bear song for charity.

The bear necessitates of life?

emeraldstar · 03-05-2009 6:40pm

Saibh wrote: »

The bear necessitates of life?

...will come to you. Yeah, maaan!

m@cc@ · 03-05-2009 7:04pm

She wouldn't be a patch on the original Pudsey Bear.

Insect Overlord · 03-05-2009 7:09pm

What a silly story...

Maurice1978 · 04-05-2009 7:04pm

The women is clearly insane. The authorities are even worse for wasing money to "look at her case again".

robinph · 04-05-2009 7:23pm

Can't see how it will cause problems at any borders, well other than the UK one. No other countries except UK and Ireland would have any idea what Pudesy Bear is.