'I was forced to leave my son at home on holiday due to 1 admin error'

A mum forced to leave her five-year-old behind at the start of their family holiday due to a small admin blunder is warning others not to repeat her mistake. Penny Moyses, founder of Home, Life & You, was preparing to celebrate a close friend's wedding abroad with her husband James and their two children when everything unravelled.

The Hertfordshire family had also planned to enjoy a few relaxing days exploring Croatia's coastline. But the 37-year-old's world came crashing down when, just days before they were set to fly from Stansted, she discovered her eldest son's passport had expired. Desperate, Penny attempted to secure an emergency replacement - only to learn children's documents must be requested at least a week ahead.

The error meant Penny had no choice but to jet off with her youngest, leaving James and their five-year-old at home - a nightmare with echoes of the 1990 John Hughes classic Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin.

The mum-of-two admitted: "Fear absolutely gripped me - I felt sick straight away. I double-checked all our passports, and that's when I spotted my eldest's had run out back in October.

"I assumed we could just grab an emergency one the same day. But with children, the safeguarding rules mean you have to wait a full week, which I understand but hadn't realised."

Though the family missed their flight and several days away, James eventually managed to collect an emergency passport for their eldest.

They later reunited at the port, changing quickly on the boat transfer before stepping straight off in their suits - to Penny's huge relief.

She explained: "My eldest lost the first two days of the holiday.

"We were fortunate to intercept the passport at our local sorting office and they arrived just in time for the wedding, literally stepping off the boat dressed for the ceremony."

The ordeal has pushed Penny to take greater control of what she calls the "silent load" of everyday admin constantly weighing her down.