Tony Hudgell: Family appalled at Gatwick wheelchair wait

An boy that is eight-year-old has already established both legs amputated was forced to wait hours for his wheelchair to be returned at Gatwick Airport.

Paula Hudgell stated she was “appalled” that no help was offered after her son Tony was left stranded at 03:00 GMT.

Tony lost his limbs abuse that is following his birth parents, who were jailed for a decade in 2018.

Gatwick Airport has apologised for the distress caused but said it experienced interruption that is significant Sunday night.

Ms Hudgell, from King’s Hill in Kent, told the BBC the grouped household had been travelling straight back from a “magical” trip to Lapland.

She tweeted a photo of a downcast Tony at the airport, and said no help had been gotten by her from staff as they waited.

Ms Hudgell said they initially sat on the aircraft to wait for the wheelchair while the captain tried to assist find it.

Whenever it did not arrive, they were offered help get the plane off and waited at baggage reclaim.

She said: “We weren’t bothered about our baggage. We could have come straight back your day that is next. But we’re able to not leave the airport because we didn’t have Tony’s wheelchair.”

She said Tony ended up being exhausted, thirsty and hungry, and that he was forced to sit on the ground.

“It was simply positively horrendous,” Ms Hudgell added.

The wheelchair finally came through four-and-a-half hours later.

A Gatwick Airport spokesman said: “We understand this situation that is awful apologise for the distress caused to your Hudgell family.

“This is unacceptable and we have picked it up as a matter of urgency with all the airline, Jet2, and their ground handler, Menzies.

“We experienced disruption that is significant night and had to close the airport for the two-hour period for safety reasons.”

Jet2 has additionally apologised to the Hudgell family for the delay, which it stated had been because of the airport’s short-term closing.

“The baggage handler experienced serious delays baggage that is offloading. Unfortunately, this included Mr Hudgell’s wheelchair,” it said in a statement.

“this will never be the experience which our customers receive.”

Baggage handler Menzies has also been approached for a remark.

Tony’s adoptive family members effectively campaign for a noticeable improvement in the law to allow for tougher sentencing of child abusers.