Sophie Morgan says theft of wheelchair part made her feel violated
The TV presenter said she ‘really can’t live’ without her blue badge and Batec wheelchair attachment.
British TV presenter Sophie Morgan said her wheelchair equipment was taken from inside her parked car in a London street.
The 38-year-old said she feels “violated” after the theft of a Batec, described as an attachment for a wheelchair to turn it into a mobility hand bike, in Camden.
It comes months after she said her blue badge was stolen and her wheelchair kit damaged after a flight.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain, she said: “It was just folded up in the back of the car. But just to be clear, that was in the middle of the day on the busy residential streets.
“It wasn’t like it was left overnight. It was just one of those really unfortunate events but I don’t really know what to say about it. There’s not much I can do.”
The Loose Women star also talked about how her disability permit was stolen, saying: “That was a few months ago; the same car got broken into.
“My blue badge got stolen and that was just literally the most disabling thing because… I depend on these things to give me the freedom and independence.
“I need to be able to live and so when the blue badge got stolen, I literally couldn’t park my car, I couldn’t go anywhere because I can’t get out of my car unless I’ve got that extra space.
“It’s really frustrating. I mean, having anything stolen from you is violating and infuriating but I think it’s when it comes to these sorts of items that you think, ‘I really can’t live without them’ and I don’t know how much value they give to your life.”
Morgan, who has presented Crufts, the Paralympics, The One Show and Dispatches, recently visited the White House in Washington, DC, as part of her disability advocacy work and spoke to the vice president and department of transportation.
She said: “They’re committing to try and pass a law that will make it mandatory for wheelchair users to be able to stay in their chairs when they fly if they so choose to, which is a huge deal for so many that actually physically can’t transfer out of their chairs.”
Morgan added: “I know that honestly sitting in that room in the White House, I would say, this conversation, I’ve never felt so much sincerity and understanding.
“I feel that that was the room where they got it. Here? I’m not so sure.”
The star said she has sat on roundtables with members of the UK government and that she was told laws will be passed when parliamentary time allows.
