A 13-year-old boy with Tourette syndrome was denied boarding a British Airways flight after he shouted “bomb” at London Gatwick airport.

British Airways (BA) refused Mason Entwistle and his family access to an Alicante-bound flight at the gate on Saturday due to the “threat made”.

Staff at Gatwick said: “Today you’ve been refused travel only based on security and the safety and welfare of other customers, yourselves, and our cabin crew … because of the threats made on multiple occasions up at the gate and down at the aircraft. We have to take it incredibly seriously,” reported The Sun.

Mason’s father, Martyn, told the paper that Mason was “on the floor crying – apologising to everyone” following the “horrendous” experience.

Armed police reportedly escorted four members of the family from Harwich in Essex out of the terminal “in floods of tears” following the refusal to board.

Tourette syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements.

According to the airline, Mason’s Tourette’s is not the reason the family were denied boarding.

A spokesperson for BA said: “This was an extremely difficult, complex and distressing situation.

“Due to a number of contributing factors, the decision was made not to allow the group to travel on the flight.”

According to the group, they rang BA to explain their son’s Tourette’s before travelling on Saturday, and made it through security “seamlessly” before being pulled aside by a duty manager.

The family, who were travelling with friends in a group of 10, had spent around £4,000 on plane tickets.

They arrived in Alicante a day late after booking into an airport hotel for the night and spending £2,400 for new flights with Vueling on Sunday.

British Airways is believed to have offered the family a refund on their flights, said The Sun.

Read more: Lufthansa cancels flight – then refuses to offer an alternative

Read More