The father of a 14-year-old girl was questioned and mistaken for a paedophile after staff at Travelodge reported him for grooming his own daughter. The father-daughter duo were staying at the budget hotel while they visited his cancer-stricken mother in Macclesfield, Chester.
Karl Pollard, 46, was confronted at his hotel room by officers who revealed Travelodge staff had reported him believing his daughter was an underaged girl who had been groomed. Karl said he was "treated disgustingly" and was forced to prove during questioning that his 14-year-old daughter Stephanie was his child.
The incident left the girl in tears and made the upsetting trip even worse, he said. According to the Mirror, Travelodge admitted staff "got it wrong," apologised to Karl and refunded the cost of the stay.
"I couldn't believe it. It was an emotional trip already - but it was made so much worse," Karl said. "One minute I was brushing my teeth, the next I was being told I was a paedophile."
The pair had taken a four-hour train journey from south Wales to visit his ailing mother at home. "My mum has just been diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer. We're not sure how long she has left," Karl said.
"I wanted to take Stephanie down to visit her before she started treatment."
Karl, a carer for his 45-year-old wife Kim who has multiple sclerosis, said he booked a double room after he was told it was the only room remaining. "When we arrived the receptionist gave me a weird look but I thought nothing of it. We went up to the room to get unpacked and ready to see my mum," he said.
I understand that they fell it was necessary but the police took it way to far.