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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| 'Pudsey Bear' in passport fight | 'Pudsey Bear' in passport fight |
| (1 day later) | |
| 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. | 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." | 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 | 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. | 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. | "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." | "Even my payslip has Mrs Bear on it." |
| Daughters Emily, 13, and Ellen, 10 had started referring to their mother as "Mummy Bear". | 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. | "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 the mascot appears up and down the country | Pudsey Bear the mascot appears up and down the country |
| "They also said that they had to safeguard my identity. | "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." | "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. | 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". | 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. | "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. | 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. | 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." | 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" |