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UK officials draw up plans for Donald Trump to avoid stairs during his state visit to Britain

Theresa May was photographed holding hands with the US President at the White House in January. One explanation for gesture was that Donald Trump was afraid of a slope: Getty
Theresa May was photographed holding hands with the US President at the White House in January. One explanation for gesture was that Donald Trump was afraid of a slope: Getty

Officials preparing for Donald Trump to visit the UK have reportedly been considering how to keep the US President away from flights of stairs and slopes, after hearing claims he has a phobia of them.

Organisers intended to hold events on the ground floor and plan routes without steps, although it was impossible for the leader to avoid them entirely during his visit to Buckingham Palace, an official said.

“I’ve heard this discussed in meetings about the state visit,” an official told The Sunday Times. "Trump won’t be able to avoid the stairs at the Palace but they can plan things to minimise it.”

According to aides, Mr Trump avoids using handrails because of a dislike of germs.

The President's fear of stairs – called "bathophobia" – has been widely reported, although there is little publicly available evidence to support the claim and the White House said it is "absurd".

Mr Trump has, however, previously described himself as a "germophobe". That was in response to an unverified intelligence dossier alleging he took part in "perverted sexual acts" in a Moscow hotel.

Mr Trump was invited to visit the UK by Theresa May in January, though a date for the visit was not set, leading to a great deal of speculation online and in the media.

Mr Trump's trip seems unlikely to take place at least until the autumn, after Buckingham Palace announced the King of Spain's June visit was postponed to July so as not to clash with the general election. Some suggested the trip will be moved as late in the year as possible, in the hope of minimising widespread protests.