A YOUNG women arrested by Turkish airport officials, held in a cell and finally deported, is warning other holidaymakers to check their passports before setting off.

Armed guards at Dalaman airport seized Nicola Alderson because her passport photograph had not been laminated.

They separared her from boyfriend Craig Ferry, accused her of travelling on a forged passport, threatened her with jail, refused to let her call the British Consul and made her sign papers she did not understand before finally putting her on a plane to Gatwick.

Nicola, 26, of Booth Road, Stacksteads, has received a letter from the passport office admitting the mistake is theirs.

When she went to the office in Liverpool officials told her the unlaminated picture was unusual.

But she believes her case is not isolated and warns other travellers to be on their guard. "I think a lot of people are running the same risk. I know three other people whose photographs haven't been laminated."

Nicola's passport was one of the hardback UK and Commonwealth passports which are being phased out. She now has one of the new EC passports but believes she will never be allowed back to Turkey.

Since her nightmare ordeal a month ago, Nicola has received just one letter from the passport office.

She has not received an apology from anyone and her requests for compensation have fallen on deaf ears.

Janet Anderson MP has contacted the Foreign Office, Home Office and the travel company Suntours.

Nicola believes she is entitled to compensation because the aborted trip has cost her £1,000 in lost holiday, time off work, extra travelling costs and phone calls.

She said: "I contacted Suntours but they say the problem was with passport and immigration officials and I am not entitled to compensation."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.