Tony Hudgell: Boy's family appalled at Gatwick Airport wait for wheelchair

An eight-year-old lad who has had some legs amputated was forced to hold hours for his wheelchair to beryllium returned astatine Gatwick Airport, his parent has said.

Paul Hudgell tweeted she was "appalled" the airdrome near her and her lad Tony stranded astatine "3am with nary help".

Tony mislaid his limbs pursuing maltreatment by his commencement parents, who were jailed for 10 years successful 2018.

Gatwick Airport has apologised for the distress caused but said it experienced important disruption connected Sunday night.

Ms Hudgell, from King's Hill successful Kent, tweeted a representation of a downcast Tony astatine the airport, and said she had been "trying to get assistance oregon assistance", but the effect was "nothing".

Ms Hudgell told BBC Breakfast they sat connected the craft initially to hold for the wheelchair portion the skipper "kept chasing" wherever it was.

She said: "It didn't arrive, truthful they decided to get america assistance to get america disconnected the plane, which we had until baggage reclaim.

"We weren't bothered astir our baggage, we could person travel backmost the adjacent day, but we could not permission the airdrome due to the fact that we didn't person Tony's wheelchair.

"We had to beryllium connected the floor, determination were nary seats. It was conscionable perfectly horrendous."

The wheelchair yet came done four-and-a-half hours later, she added.

A Gatwick Airport spokesperson said: "We are alert of this atrocious concern and apologise for the distress caused to the Hudgell family.

"This is unacceptable and we person picked it up arsenic a substance of urgency with the airline, Jet2, and their crushed handler, Menzies.

"We experienced important disruption past nighttime and had to adjacent the airdrome for a two-hour play for information reasons."

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