A widower who checked into a Travelodge with his teenage daughter last week was shocked when a staff member called police, apparently suspecting he was a paedophile.

Craig Darwell, 46, had booked a room at the hotel in Chertsey, Surrey, for him and daughter Millie, 13, to stay at during a visit to Thorpe Park.

“We checked in and then I had to move my car," Mr Darwell told The Sun. "When I got back to reception the guy started asking me to prove I was her dad. He said it was company policy and I had to go onto Facebook to show messages I’ve sent to her.

"It was bizarre and really offensive. Then he told me that he’d already called police so I had to wait for them to arrive.

"Luckily it took them about two seconds to realise he had got the wrong end of the stick but it ruined the weekend for me."