A British family’s Christmas getaway was ruined when their 12-year-old son was barred from boarding a flight to South Africa due to strict laws aimed at stopping child trafficking.

It was supposed to be a dream holiday for Joshua Brookes, but he was turned away by Emirates staff at Manchester Airport on Christmas Eve because his mum wasn’t carrying the long version of his birth certificate.

The case highlights the concerns of South African tourism officials, who said new laws which require child passengers to travel with more paperwork would make it even harder for families to visit the country.

Joshua Brookes, 12, (with mum Charlotte) was turned away because he did not have his full birth certificate

Joshua, from New Mills, Derbyshire, was travelling to South Africa with his mum, two sisters and grandfather for a once-in-a-lifetime retreat that cost £975 per ticket.

But he was told he would not be allowed on board when he arrived at the airport with his passport, a letter from his dad giving permission to travel, and the short version of his birth certificate.

Laws that went into effect last June require children travelling in and out of the country to carry a full birth certificate, in addition to a passport.

Joshua’s mum, Charlotte, 43, said: ‘When we got to the counter they said we couldn't fly because for South Africa the letter from his dad needed to be signed by a solicitor and we needed the full-length birth certificate.

‘Joshua fell to the floor he was so upset and I was in shock, everyone was crying, it was like a nightmare.’

Emirates staff still refused to allow the boy to board the flight to Durban after his dad drove to the airport and gave his permission in person, as the family still did not have the full-length birth certificate.

Joshua (pictured with his sister Demi, mum Charlotte and grandfather Keith) arrived six days late

Joshua and his mother were forced to stay behind while his grandfather, Keith, 66, and his two sisters, Amy, 25, and Demi, 22, flew out as scheduled.

By the time Joshua and his mum joined them six days into the two-week holiday, they had missed a safari, fishing trip and a day at the South Africa-England cricket test match.

Charlotte claims she called the airline the night before they were supposed to travel and was told she had sufficient documentation.

An Emirates spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We are very sorry to hear the Brookes’ family had their flight disrupted.

‘We have investigated the incident and our records indicate that our contact centre provided Mrs Brookes with the correct information.

'We make every effort to ensure the information we share with our customers is correct, however it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they have the correct documents which are up to date according to the legal requirements of the country they are travelling to.’

Emirates offered to switch the Brookes' flights for a fee, but they had to rebook through their travel agent DialAFlight.

Subsequent flights had sold out and they rebooked with KLM for around £1,100 each.

Charlotte said: ‘It meant Christmas was not what we had planned at all and we were all separated. It's very confusing.’

She claims she found conflicting advice on the internet.

She added: ‘The Emirates desk guy said this happens all the time, he was used to it.’

A spokeswoman for DialAFlight said all travel confirmations and itineraries contain the following statement: 'New rules apply from 1 June 2015. If you’re travelling to South Africa or transiting through a South African airport with a child (under the age of 18) you must be able to produce the child’s full unabridged (original)birth certificate.

'There are additional requirements if the child is travelling with only one parent.'

The statement includes a link to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's travel advice page for South Africa.

Charlotte wants to warn other families to make sure they check very carefully before flying.

She added: ‘South Africa is the only country in the world with such strict rules. In a way we've been stung because we travel a lot and assumed it wouldn't be an issue. But it's paramount to check.’

When the immigration laws were first announced, the Tourism Business Council of South Africa warned they would hamper travel to South Africa and pose a threat to the tourism industry.