Fears a Walthamstow family's first holiday abroad could be cancelled following confusion at the Passport Office have been averted. 

James Mackay, 43, and his wife Jessica, of Northbank Road, had applied to renew their passports with first-time applications for Max, five, and eight-month-old Rory at the Wood Street Post Office branch in May.  

Mr Mackay's father had booked a 10 day trip for the whole Mackay family in Portugal on August 19, which would have been the Northbank Road residents first holiday abroad together. 

However, Max's passport still hasn't arrived despite the couple and Rory's arriving a month later, and instead the Passport Office had sent a letter with a claim to Max's citizenship in the UK. 

Since June, the 43-year-old had spent everyday waiting for a call back from the Passport Office to discuss his son's application, but never received a call, only apologies from the 0300 helpline team.

The matter, it seems, has now been resolved and family holiday will go ahead as planned later this month. 

A spokeswoman for the Passport Office said: "We will not issue a passport until all checks have been satisfactorily completed and it can take longer to process a passport if more information is required.

"We are in contact with the customer and the passport will be delivered in order to meet date of travel."

Mr Mackay says he is still frustrated by the matter. 

He said: "This whole issue could have been resolved in a sixty second phone call. 

"It causes so much stress for people; it can't just be us that have had this experience. 

"I'll feel much happier when the passport is in my hand as I've got no confidence in the Passport Office and I honestly don't think it would have been resolved without the press and Stella Creasy's involvement"