Paralysed Soldier denied home aid

- Saturday, August 01, 2009

A Soldier paralysed from the waist down while training in Kenya was refused help to get a disabled friendly council house.

His appalled father has blasted Carmarthenshire Council for its heartless treatment of his teenage son.

Liam Morrell, aged 18, from Trimsaran, was serving in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 1st Battalion in Kenya when he "died twice" on a military exercise last January.

He was initially paralysed from the neck down, but after treatment he regained the use of the upper part of his body.

His father, Shaun, wants him to move within easy travelling distance and contacted the council for help to house Liam. He is currently staying in a specialist medical centre in Brecon.

In order for a person to qualify for council housing, they need to accumulate points matched against their needs. The council was unable to tell the Post how many equated to a placement.

Shaun said: "First of all they gave him 15 points and told me that they don't adapt housing in Carmarthenshire for disabled people.

"He can't come back because the council won't adapt my house to allow him to live there and they won't adapt any other place," he said.

"I'm appalled. For a kid who was fighting for his country to be treated this badly by his own council.

"The boy is begging to come home and start a normal life. He has been in the hospital for four-and-a-half months.

"He's going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life," said Shaun, of Trilwm.

"To have rehabilitation in Carmarthenshire, he has to have an address in Carmarthenshire."

The Evening Post contacted Carmarthenshire Council about Mr Morrell's plight.

After our call he was given 85 housing points and, Shaun said, "they told me they have several places in mind".

"I asked them how long it would be and they said they can't tell me.

"I'm now 100 per cent more hopeful since you have talked to them.

"They say he is a priority and this has arisen since you spoke to them They told me I had no right to refer up a complaint to the media.

"I said if somebody hadn't told me there was no chance of a house I wouldn't have gone to the media."

Carmarthenshire Council spokesman Ron Cant said: "We can't comment. The family have asked us not to."

Story Credit - www.thisissouthwales.co.uk