Amputee gets blue badge after 'leg will not re-grow' letter
- Published
Ben Perry had to learn to walk again after he was hit by a car
A special constable who lost a leg in an accident has described his doctor as a "legend" for writing to the council after he was rejected for a blue badge.
Ben Perry's right leg was amputated in 2018 after he was hit by a car.
However, when it came time to renew his blue badge, he said he was told he did not qualify and was told to supply more evidence of his disability.
In a letter, shared by Mr Perry on Twitter, external, his doctor told the council his leg was unlikely to "re-grow".
The update has attracted more than 9,000 retweets and hundreds of comments, many from people with similar experiences.
He said he had since been approved for a new blue badge by Worcestershire County Council, which said it had been following procedures set up by government.
An excerpt of the letter shared online says: "This [the amputation] has left him severely debilitated with chronic phantom limb syndrome and perpetual pain in his stump which on some days allows him to be independently mobile and other days leaves him unable to walk independently.
"I would be grateful if you could take this into account... It is of course unlikely that this situation will change unless medical science allows us to re-grow a new leg for him."
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Mr Perry, who returned to policing in Redditch in July, asked Twitter users to "show some appreciation for this legend".
Writing on Twitter, Mr Perry said he did not expect his tweet to "take off" as much as it had and addressed some negative comments from people who questioned why he would need a blue badge.
He said he needed to open his car door wider than most people in order to swing his prosthetic leg in and out, while on other days he was in so much pain he needed to use a wheelchair.
On these occasions, he said the blue badge was "critical to maintaining my independence".
Ben Perry previously said he spent "a very long 23 weeks" in hospital
Mr Perry had been returning home from a work event in March 2018 when he stopped to assist the driver of a car that had aquaplaned and hit the central reservation.
He was struck by another vehicle and spent 23 weeks in hospital, while the driver was later convicted of driving without due care and attention and driving with defective tyres.
Councillor Adam Kent, from Worcestershire County Council said: "As with any Blue Badge application, Worcestershire County Council follows a set of processes implemented by the Department for Transport.
"Where necessary, we request further information as set out by current, national guidelines."
Who can get a blue badge?
Someone who receives the higher rate of the mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
Someone who cannot walk more than 50 metres
If you are registered blind (severely sight impaired)
Some people receiving the mobility component of Personal Independence Payments
They are issued by local authorities and cost up to £10 in England and £20 in Scotland, the scheme is free in Wales
For more details of all the criteria, see the Department for Transport, external website.
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