A WAR veteran was almost barred from travelling to the UK to accompany his cousin from Liphook to the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, on Remembrance Day – by British officials at Toronto Airport.

Rob Evans told the Herald: “My cousin Stephen, a 60-year-old Canadian veteran of 35 years’ military service, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, was stopped by British officials at Toronto Airport and prevented from travelling with his young service dog, a German Shepherd called Ivy, which was given to him by the Canadian Army to keep him calm.”

Stephen, a Senior NCO, was planning to travel to London Heathrow with British Airways last Thursday to attend the commemorations in central London, with his cousin Heather Linton, and Rob’s 97-year-old dad, Ronald Evans.

He was barred from travelling with his dog when British officials at the airport’s retention centre asked where Ivy was trained.

Rob added: “Despite the fact his service dog is highly trained and has been certified by the Canadian breeder, this was not accepted by the British authorities.

“We went through all the paperwork and phoned the animal reception centre at Heathrow before he was due to fly, but he was told he could not bring his service dog with him.

“When Stephen gets nightmares because of his PTSD, Ivy, who is always by his side, wakes him up.

“She always calms him down and he has been much better since he got her. She is amazing and now they have been separated for the first time.

“Because we made plans for the trip months ago and had to buy the tickets for the Remembrance Walk Past in the summer, Stephen still wanted to come to London and see his family.”

Rob and his dad Ron, who fought at Monte Cassino in the Second World War with the 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery (Spike Milligan’s regiment) together with Stephen, cousin Heather and nephew Addie Kaarl, who flew in from Estonia, did go to the Cenotaph on Sunday to pay their respects.

BA stated pets were not permitted inside any terminal buildings unless they were service animals and UK travel companies usually recognise guide or assistance dogs trained by organisations that are members of either Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF). They are permitted to travel in the cabin, can enter any UK airport and must also meet normal rules for travelling with dogs.