As I said to my neighbour -Ivor Bentone, here's an interesting story.
Quote:Man can't go abroad as his surname is 'too rude' for passportThe Mirror:
'A man has been stopped from going abroad - as his surname has been deemed too rude to be written on a passport.
Some things are just too Fu-Kennard to handle.
Kenny Kennard changed his surname by deed poll to 'Fu-Kennard' for a laugh a few years ago, but now the joke has
backfired. Despite the former squaddie getting a driving license under his new moniker he has been told he cannot
have it on a passport. When it expired earlier this year and he applied for a new one, his application was denied
because his name "may cause offence".
The supermarket worker from Bude, Cornwall, has contested HM Passport Office's verdict three times- but the Home
Office has refused to budge. Keen traveller Kenny said he doesn't want to change his name again - so faces a life
of UK holidays instead. He said: "I'd decided to change my name to Fu-Kennard a few years back.
"When I had to apply for a driving licence, it was accepted fine, so I figured it wouldn't make much difference in
applying for a passport. How wrong I was. I got refused on grounds that my name could cause offence or was
vulgar.
So I complained, but they upheld their decision so I complained again. I was then told they'd keep the fee for
administration costs. If I wanted to take the matter further, they said I'd need to contact my MP. So I wrote to
MP Scott Mann, and he replied saying they're within their remit to refuse.
"Now I'm skint with no passport, like a prisoner in my own country. On the one hand, I find the whole thing funny
- as do all of my friends. But I'm also finding it hard to believe the name could be construed as anything but funny
and slightly ridiculous. It's just a joke. I agree with Home Office policy that not all names are acceptable, such as
racial hate words or anything that invokes hatred.
"'Fu-Kennard' is not offensive, and I object to them denying my chosen name." Kenny first changed his name to
'Coco Kenny' when he was 16, but after he joined the Army aged 19 he said he was told to change it back
because it was "immature". After eight years serving his country, Kenny decided to "change it to something with
a bit of 'fun' about it".
Knowing that he'd be applying for 'normal' jobs, he knew to "play it a bit safe" - and settled for 'Fu-Kennard'
because "not everyone gets the joke". "Life's too short to be boring," he said. Kenny successfully applied for
a driving licence in 2016, so had no reason to suspect that it would be any different applying for a passport.
But the Home Office dismissed his application on three occasions in May, June and July this year, citing
Section 2 on its longstanding policy on changing names. The official guidelines list a series of "names that
may cause outrage or offence" that could be classed as "unacceptable" and not fit for a passport.
They include "the use of swear words; sexually explicit references; inappropriate religious connotation; is vulgar,
offensive, or libellous to an individual; makes use of a name of a person living or dead which may cause public
concern". The guidance also states: "This applies to phonetic, as well as actual use of words comprising of
part or the entire name."
In a letter the office even advised that it would even retain Kenny's £94.75 application fee "to cover the costs
of administration". Bemused and bewildered, Kenny wrote to local Tory MP Scott Mann, whose office also
supported HM Passport Office's decision. The letter from Mr Mann's office stated - under Section 2 of Home
Office policy, concerning 'unacceptable names' - HM Passport Office was "within its remit to refuse your
request for a passport under the name you have chosen".
Kenny said the Home Office has told him it will only proceed with an application for a passport if he either
changed his name to one that was acceptable - or uses his previous name. Their letter dated July 11 stated:
"Your application is deemed to contain a name, which may cause offence to individuals and the wider public.
"The passport is not an appropriate vehicle to carry names which may be considered as distasteful or vulgar.
The application will be failed and the fee retained, in line with HM Passport Office procedure, to cover the
costs of administration." But the wacky retailer is shocked by the Home Office decision, and said he's been
left "stumped at what I can do - live without a passport?"
Kenny, who loves to travel and last went on holiday to Sri Lanka months before his passport expired, now
can't holiday abroad. He said: "Without a passport, I can't go on holiday abroad. I live in a seaside town,
but have always enjoyed travelling. My last holiday - to Sri Lanka - was about three years ago. But there
are so many countries I'd still like to visit, such as Cambodia.
"I went camping down Sennen Beach for my week off. For my next leave, I have no plans as my options
are limited. I have a stag do in three weeks, for instance. When the best man was deciding what to do for
it, he knew I couldn't travel - so he settled on Cardiff instead.
"I don't know what else I can do to escalate the situation with HM Passport Office, because no one has
advised me how else I can challenge the verdict. I only have one red line, though - I'm keeping my surname.
I don't want to change it again, especially because they're restricting my freedom. I like Fu-Kennard."...'
Read The TV Guide, yer' don't need a TV.