Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson forced to ‘crawl off’ LNER train

Tanni Grey-Thompson mentioned she had waited 20 minutes for help however nobody arrived

PA Media Tanni Grey-Thompson arrives for the premiere of Netflix's Game On - The Unstoppable Rise in Women's Sport at Everyman Broadgate in London — Tanni Grey-Thompson mentioned she had waited 20 minutes for help however nobody arrived

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was pressured to “crawl off” a LNER prepare arriving at London’s King’s Cross.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the previous Paralympian mentioned she had initially booked help to assist her off the 19:15 prepare from Leeds however missed it and went on the 19:45, as she journeyed to Paris for the Paralympics.

She mentioned she ought to have been helped off however after ready for 20 minutes nobody arrived so she needed to attempt to disembark herself.

LNER has mentioned it’s investigating what occurred and mentioned it was “sorry to grasp there was a problem” on the station.

Baroness Grey-Thompson mentioned: “There was nobody there to fulfill me and I waited 5 minutes earlier than placing something on social media since you’re meant to depart 5 minutes. After 16 minutes of ready at King’s Cross, there was nobody in sight.

“There have been a few cleaners however they don’t seem to be insured or capable of assist me off. So I made a decision that I might crawl off the prepare.

“I’m going to Paris later at present, I’ve bought just a few baggage. I chucked them on the platform, I needed to get out of my chair, sit on the ground by the door which isn’t nice after which crawl off.”

Although she went on the later prepare, she “had a contract” to be met on the different finish.

Wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson on the Athens Olympics in 2004 the place she gained two gold medals on the 100m and 400m

PA Media Wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson pictured in 2004 with her two gold medals around her neck and with team members in the background. — Wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey-Thompson on the Athens Olympics in 2004 the place she gained two gold medals on the 100m and 400m

“Legally I’m allowed to show up and ask to get on a prepare.

“We have been meant to have stage boarding within the UK on 1 January 2020 underneath the Disability and Discrimination Act however authorities has kicked the can down the highway.

“I can nearly get off the prepare if I have to, however there are a great deal of individuals that may’t.

“I can not actually crawl however sit on the ground and drag my legs. There was nobody round and I used to be very indignant final night time.

“If the prepare supervisor hadn’t seen me crawling off, I might have needed to pull the emergency twine and I might have delayed the prepare going north.”

An LNER spokesperson mentioned: “We are sorry to grasp there was a problem at London King’s Cross station on Monday night.

“We are within the strategy of investigating this and are involved with the client immediately.”