An English family's holiday plans were thrown into chaos after British Airways barred a 13-year-old with Tourette syndrome from boarding his flight.

According to a BBC report, Mason was escorted out of London Gatwick Airport by armed police after involuntarily shouting the word "bomb" at the departure gate. 

The incident left the teenager and his immediate family stranded, sparking accusations of discrimination against the airline.

The boy's father, 39-year-old Martyn, described the ordeal as an absolute nightmare that left his family shattered. 

However, British Airways defended its actions, with a spokeswoman telling the BBC the event was a highly complex and distressing situation. 

The airline maintained that the decision was based on multiple contributing safety factors rather than the teenager's disability.

Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that manifests as involuntary physical movements or vocal tics. 

Knowing that Mason's anxiety about flying might trigger these vocal tics, the family from Essex had proactively contacted the airline the day before to warn staff about what he might say.

The family group of 10 had spent A$7500 (£4,000) on the flights to Spain. Martyn noted that their journey through the airport had been entirely smooth up until the boarding gate, when Mason repeatedly ticced the word "bomb". 

The teenager was wearing a sunflower lanyard, which visually indicates a hidden disability, and the family carried his official medical diagnosis letter.

The situation escalated when an airline manager blocked their entry. Video footage captured the manager stating that the refusal was not due to a disability, but because a claim had been made regarding a bomb in a bag.

While Mason's 16-year-old sister was permitted to fly ahead with family friends, the rest of the immediate family faced a dramatically different exit. Armed officers escorted Mason, his parents, and his one-year-old sister out of the terminal.

The ordeal forced the stranded group to stay overnight in a hotel and fork out an additional A$4500 for replacement flights with Vueling the following day.

Martyn, who described himself as someone who rarely shows emotion, admitted he and his wife were moved to tears watching their son get turned away at the final hurdle after looking forward to the trip for so long.