A ROMANTIC marriage proposal under the Moroccan sunset was ruined after the groom-to-be fell victim to passport delays.
Mathew Bean, 27, had planned the perfect proposal for his girlfriend but was forced to pop the question in the Lake District when his passport did not arrive in time.
His bride-to-be, Hayley Kirkham, 27, said yes but, the couple, of Railway Street, Beverley, were "devastated" after missing out on their £1,400 holiday.
Mathew, a team leader at The Grapes in Beverley, said: "I had planned with the hotel for roses and a bottle of champagne to be put on the balcony on our last night.
"I was gutted I didn't get to do it like that, but we've joked we will go back to Morocco on our honeymoon."
The couple booked their holiday in October last year but Mathew had to order a new passport after losing his when he moved house the following April.
Within two weeks, he applied for his new passport, six weeks before his flight to Morocco on June 5.
When it had not arrived within the stipulated three weeks, Mathew called the passport office more than ten times and was told he would be called back within 48 hours, which never happened.
He said his complaint was not answered and last week an operator told him checks were still being carried out, only for another to call minutes later to say his passport was ready.
Mathew said: "I just had to laugh. I wasn't bothered by that point. I had already missed everything and I didn't care.
"It is all well and good the Government apologising, but they don't care really. They're not the ones who have lost out."
The Passport Office has admitted it is experiencing an "early summer peak" due to an increase in people booking holidays abroad.
A spokesman said Matthew's delay could have been because his original passport was lost.
He said: "If a customer is replacing a lost or stolen passport they may also need to attend an interview and their application could take longer.
"We will not issue a passport until all necessary checks have been satisfactorily completed.
"We recommend customers should not book travel until they have received their passport."
