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Businessman unable to travel - after changing name by deed poll


Martin Vines changed his name over 10 years ago after he was held up by airport security and separated from his young daughter for hours.

Businessman unable to travel - after changing name by deed poll


"I changed my name to avoid confusion with authorities, including the case of mistaken identity. I dont want to risk what happened over 10 years ago to happen again."
Martin Vines, of Martin's Helpdesk



A businessman who happens to share a name with a murderer in his home country of South Africa can no longer leave the UK - after changing his name by deed poll.

Martin Vines, who lives in Brislington, Bristol, changed his name over 10 years ago after he was held up by airport security and separated from his young daughter for hours.

He is still known by his five worded Afrikaans name on his South African passport, but current government policy means he has to choose just ONE name in order to travel.

Martin, also known as Izak Martin Van Der Merwe in his country of birth, was held at Heathrow Airport while collecting his then 15-year-old daughter, who had arrived from Johannesburg alone.

He was told his name was on the list of those deported from the UK – although there was a big age gap between him and the suspect - and little more.

Martin, 61, said: “I was very worried and I didn’t know what was happening to my daughter at that time. I thought I might have to spend the night there and was distraught.”

Catalyst for change

Martin, who runs Martin’s Helpdesk to provide IT support for small businesses and home users, gained UK citizenship in 2009 and then made the name change.

While he never discovered who he was mistaken for, another namesake is known as the ‘Graveyard Murderer’- after killing a man and leaving his dismembered body around the cemetery.

Martin said: “I changed my name to avoid confusion with authorities, including the case of mistaken identity. I don’t want to risk what happened over 10 years ago to happen again.”

But when Martin came to renew his UK passport, he learned new regulations had been introduced and names on all passports had to match.

The passport office has said it is to prevent the ‘potential fraudulent and criminal use of passports in two different identities’.

Exceptions include where they would have to travel to their country of origin and would be put at a high level of risk. An observation note can then be added to the new passport.

Unable to see elderly mother

Now Martin, whose grandmother was born in London, cannot leave the UK and return until his passport is renewed.

His daughter, now 28, and elderly mother, aged 88, still live in South Africa. Martin said: “My mother’s health is failing rapidly and a readiness to travel to South Africa and return on my British passport is vital.”

To join up the names could take Martin at least 18 months in the UK. To speed it up, it would involve travel to South Africa and incur costs of over £10,000 – and he would then have difficulty re-entering the UK.

The change to his identity would also affect his records, accounts and will – which names his daughter as beneficiary - in South Africa.

 Impact on personal and business affairs

Changing back to his old name in the UK could impact on his business, reputation and accounts here.

Martin, who has been in the UK for 17 years, said: “I have worked hard and contributed to the welfare of this country with my taxes.

“I have no criminal record and it is disheartening that it is proving difficult to stay in the place I now see as home.”

Martin, who was born in Cape Town , has written to his local MP, Kerry McCarthy, and to the passport office.

The former security consultant has had a response calling for evidence it would take considerable amount of time to make the name changes.

John Piekos, a former senior detective inspector who has since set up the charity Safe and Free to help prevent human trafficking, said he could see few benefits for the new policy in his line of work. 

He said: “The greater use of biometric data, smart passports, and international crime and data sharing means individuals can be checked more rigorously.

 “I would have thought something such as an Anglicised version of a name could be accommodated in the system.”

*For more information on SAFE, visit https://www.safeandfree.co.uk/

* For more information on Martin's work, visit https://martinshelpdesk.com/

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Ten Times Ten

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