HOUSEBOUND Derek Watson has been refused a wheelchair - because he is too heavy.
Former joiner Derek, 60, who weighs 16 stones, has problems walking after he fell 18ft from a ladder three months ago.
Unlucky Derek, of Lumley Terrace, Jarrow, broke his right ankle and heel and needed a metal plate inserted in the shin bone of the same leg.
Derek paid £80 a month out of his own pocket to hire a wheelchair with a special foot extension. Now he cannot afford to spend any more money.
Neither South Tyneside Social Services, Disability North nor Age Concern could find Derek a suitable chair. When he approached the Red Cross, he was told his weight was the problem.
Derek said: "They (Red Cross) said they would be breaking the law if they gave me one."
A Red Cross spokesman confirmed: "It is not that we didn't want to give this gentleman a wheelchair, it's just that we would have been breaking the law if we did so.
"Because he's over 16 stones fully clothed, we're not allowed to provide him with a wheelchair for a person weighing less than 16 stones, and that's all we have available."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article