A fellow holidaymaker has sympathised with a Burnham family banned from the USA after she too suffered the same plight.

The Standard recently reported how Burnham dad Martin Saunders and his eight-year-old son Drew were not allowed to board a flight at Heathrow airport with no explanation.

The story of their ruined £3,500 Las Vegas family holiday brought back a nightmare memory for Susan Dogan.

Travel agent Mrs Dogan and her husband Cem, an IT worker, were meant to be jetting off to Miami from Heathrow in May last year.

Like the Saunders, they were also stopped from flying to the USA by America’s Homeland Security and given no reason for this action.

The Dogans had been turned away despite having all the correct travel documents.

Mrs Dogan, of Buckhurst Hill, Essex, said: “I just wish we had gone to the Maldives instead.

“We made an appointment with the US consulate a month later who said there was no reason for what happened and gave us 10 year multiple entry visas.

“I contacted my MP, every newspaper I could think of, magazines, The White House, US embassy, David Cameron and numerous other people.

“No-one could help and my insurance company would not pay out.

“The Saunders may as well give up now.

“They will not get anywhere pursuing this.

“Apparently you do not have a right to enter the USA, it is a privilege.”

With regards to the Saunders’ ban, a US Embassy spokesman said: “Regarding this particular instance, and in general due to privacy issues we do not comment on specific cases.

“As such, I can’t say anything more than this on this matter.”