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A 13-year-old girl with autism was booted off a Ryanair flight and left stranded in a Portuguese airport because cabin crew wouldn't accept she was flying with her close family.

Her horrified mother said her daughter was "hysterical" as she was forced off the plane from Faro to East Midlands Airport.

Michelle Maddock, 32, had suffered a bleed on the brain shortly before the family were to fly out to celebrate her mum's 60th birthday in the Algarve.

Her eldest daughter, Daisy, 13, still wanted to go and was told by the budget airline to provide a letter of permission and a copy of her mum and dad's passport.

She flew out with her aunties, uncles, cousins and godmother on Friday, August 10, and there were no problems reported.

But on her return to the airport she ended up stranded for hours.

Fighting back tears, Michelle told NottinghamshireLive: "My daughter Daisy boarded the flight with the rest of my family with no problem until 10 minutes before the flight was due to take off.

(Image: Michelle Maddock)

"A lady working for Ryanair came up to my daughter and told her they believed she had got on the plane without an adult and she must get off the plane - but an adult has to go with her.

"After my family members explained the situation - showing them the documents I was told to send - she came back with a security guard who forced my daughter off the plane.

"My 13-year-old is autistic and was absolutely hysterical. Her 70-year-old godmother was made to leave the plane with her. My daughter was absolutely terrified."

"I am really angry and upset. I want to comfort my daughter and I can't. It does not make any sense.

"I would understand going out of this country but they won't let her go back to her own country."

(Image: Angela Ward)

A spokesman for Ryanair said: "Children under-16 years of age are not permitted to travel unaccompanied. In this instance, the child was booked on two separate bookings for the outbound and return flights.

"While we regret any inconvenience, as no other adult was travelling on the return booking, she could not travel on the flight.

"As a gesture of goodwill, the child and an accompanying adult were moved on to another booking on the next available flight, which departed to East Midlands later that day."

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