Laura Matthews tried to renew her passport with the signature L. Skywalker, referencing the Star Wars character, but was told that her adopted name is a trademark and cannot be accepted

Her namesake may be able to travel across galaxies in Star Wars, but Laura Matthews from Southend – whose middle name is Skywalker – isn't even able to get on a budget airline to the Med.

The 29-year-old added the middle name by deed poll in 2008, "for a bit of a laugh", and recently tried to renew her passport, complete with her new name and the signature L. Skywalker. Her application was refused, with the Home Office telling her it "will not recognise a change to a name which is subject to copyright or trademark".

"We have a duty to ensure the reputation of the UK passport is not called into question or disrepute," a spokesperson told the BBC. A disgruntled Matthews complained: "It's on my driving licence, my bank cards, everything. Everyone else is happy with that signature apart from passport office."

A compromise is nevertheless being hashed out where she could submit a passport form with her old, non-Tatooinian signature, and is able to keep her new name on her new passport.

Meanwhile in news from the ongoing shoot for the Star Wars sequel, Episode VII, Simon Pegg has played down rumours that he might appear in the film, after he was spotted on set – Pegg has previously been featured in director JJ Abrams' Star Trek films, as well as his Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. "Of course I visited the set," he said. "It's amazing, and I love Star Wars. I want to see everything happening." But he added: "I feel like my face in Star Wars would pop people out of the movie. Look, I love Star Wars, and I don't want people to watch and go, 'Oh, there's Simon Pegg's face'... Any type of stunt casting might just pop you out of the movie."