Woman denied passport due to name change in Wales

A mother from north Wales has been struggling for 16 years to get a passport after she changed her name to Pudsey Bear. Eileen De Bont, 53, made the change in 2009 to raise money for BBC Children In Need. She auctioned her name to the highest bidder and pledged to adopt that name. Despite her name change being accepted by various businesses and government agencies, the Home Office denied her passport application. They labeled her new name as "frivolous" and suggested it might violate copyright laws. Recently, Mrs. Bear was told she would need permission from the BBC, which owns the copyright, to proceed. The lack of a passport has caused difficulties for her. She can no longer drive due to medical issues and has found it hard to conduct her business online without valid photo ID. She also cannot vote. Mrs. Bear has grown frustrated, as all her other official records now show her chosen name. According to the UK Deed Poll Office, there have been similar cases where names were rejected due to trademark issues. They stated that the Passport Office's decisions on such matters are inconsistent. While some trademarked names are accepted, others are not, leading to confusion. A spokesperson for the Home Office said they would accept a new application from Mrs. Bear. They emphasized that each application is reviewed on its own merits.