Lord Blunkett suffers 'terrifying' fall in gap between Tube and platform

Lord Blunkett has described the 'terrifying moment' erstwhile helium fell into the spread betwixt a conduit bid and the platform, severely bruising his legs.

It has prompted the Labour peer, who is blind, to request enactment connected what helium is calling "death trap" platforms.

He told the Sun connected Sunday astir the incidental erstwhile helium was attempting to committee a London Underground bid connected the District Line 3 weeks agone with his usher canine during unreserved hour.

"As I took a measurement to get onto the Tube bid I abruptly felt some my feet disappearing down the gap. Looking back, I indispensable person mislaid my footing due to the fact that 'the gap' betwixt the Tube and level was truthful large," helium said.

He said helium suffered "excruciating pain" successful his legs and "was truly worried." He added: "I precocious had a bosom attack... immoderate bleeding oregon bruising is dangerous."

An X-ray confirmed "extraordinary bruising" but nary breached leg, and helium says helium is "angry" astir what happened.

"Whenever you measurement into a Tube presumption successful London you perceive the tannoy pass radical to 'mind the gap'. But excessively often determination are nary unit members to really assistance you if - similar maine - cannot see."

He called connected Transport for London (TfL) to bash much to support visually impaired radical safe, including identifying platforms with the largest gaps and narrowing them.

"The time of my mishap the unit subordinate who was meant to beryllium attending the level had been called distant due to the fact that idiosyncratic had been attacked.

"Clearly, it is captious that determination should ever beryllium idiosyncratic connected hand, particularly during unreserved hour. Some of our platforms are decease traps."

Nick Dent, London Underground's manager of lawsuit operations, said: "We were highly atrocious that Lord Blunkett was injured connected our network.

"We person written to, and volition beryllium gathering with, him to sermon however we could person managed the incidental amended and to guarantee that lessons are learned.

"The information of our customers and unit is astatine the forefront of everything we do, and portion injuries similar the 1 experienced by Lord Blunkett are rare, we are undertaking a immense scope of enactment aimed astatine eradicating specified incidents and making travelling adjacent safer for everyone."

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Lord Blunkett added that helium does not easy get scared.

"I person been navigating Britain's streets and stations with my usher canine for decades. But that time I was spooked."

"How galore others person fallen and been earnestly injured due to the fact that of the gap? We request enactment present to debar preventable wounded oregon worse," helium said.