Paraplegic man 'forced to drag himself' through Luton Airport

A paraplegic man claims he was “forced” to drag himself along the floor of an airport after his wheelchair was lost on a flight.

Justin Levene, from north London, is seen using his hands to push his body at Luton Airport after arriving from Croatia in a clip shared online.

Luton Airport said Mr Levene “declined all offers of help” and was offered an assisted wheelchair by airport staff during the incident in August 2017.

Mr Levene, who was paralysed after damaging a spinal disc in a coughing fit and lost the ability to walk after an operation, said he refused the offer of a high-backed chair as it removed his independence.

He added being strapped in the chair would made him feel “humiliated and degraded” and would leave him at the risk of developing a pressure sore.

Mr Levene claims he is suing the airport, but the airport said Mr Levene has not served any legal proceedings.

He told the BBC: “I was angry that none of the staff seemed to understand the position or seemed to have any empathy for what was happening.

“If something does happen, no-one should be put in the position that they are forced to crawl through the airport or drag themselves along the floor.

“Someone whose chair is their legs shouldn’t be forced to be reliant on others for help.”

The airport said: “Whilst we apologise if Mr Levene was dissatisfied with the service he received, we are satisfied that our agents and staff did all they could in difficult circumstances.”