Five-year-old boy made to get out of wheelchair and walk by staff at Legoland

A five-year-old boy who is dependent on his wheelchair was twice ordered to stand up and walk by staff at Legoland before being allowed to go on the rides.

Sebby Brett, from Gloucestershire, had been taken to the park in Windsor by his family as a special treat after he had endured four operations over 12 months.

He suffers from an undiagnosed medical condition, similar to cerebral palsy, which has left him unable to walk.

But his mother Joanna is now calling on Legoland to change its policy to better accommodate the disabled children who visit the theme park.

She said her son, who was excited about the rides and seeing the character Lego Batman at the park, was left humiliated when he was told he could not board the ninja-themed Ninjago ride.

Staff apparently told the family the rule was to prove Sebby could walk in case of evacuation.

The child was made to get up out of his wheelchair and walk for three steps while holding his mother’s hand.

But once he had completed the steps, staff reportedly said he had to do it again because they were not satisfied with his first attempt, according to the Press Association.

Ms Brett said: “It was humiliating, and a totally arbitrary number. Are they saying you are only ever three steps away from danger?

“Everyone was watching, and knew we were the reason the ride was delayed.

“Anyone that knows Sebby has been bored to death by his knowledge and love of Ninjago.”

Ms Brett said after they finished on the ride, her son asked her: “Why would they make a disabled person walk? It really hurt.”

She added: “If they’d have asked him to do it a month ago he wouldn’t have been able to and it would have ruined the whole day.”

Sebby was asked to repeat the steps on later rides, but he and his mother refused.

When Ms Brett questioned the policy, she was handed a guide which showed 80 per cent of the rides are not accessible for disabled people.

She said that despite booking a disabled pass, staff at the park had not made her aware there would be any accessibility issues.

“Had we known, we wouldn’t have gone,” she said.

The family have called on the park to review their policies.

“I don’t agree with their three-steps rule, but they should have done this in private, at the start of the day so Sebby didn’t have to repeat it in front of other people,” Ms Brett said.

“It’s humiliating. They also need to reconsider how inclusive their park is.”

She added staff needed better training on how to deal with disabled children.

A spokesman for the park apologised for any distress caused to the family, but said the policy was “necessary”.

They said: “The health and safety of our guests is always our priority and we have a number of requirements in place to allow our guests with disabilities and additional needs to enjoy our rides.

“On some rides, such as Lego Ninjago The Ride, guests are required to walk unaided. This is necessary in the case of guests being evacuated from the ride, as they would be required to walk during the evacuation process.

“We are always working to make the resort more accessible and constantly review our processes.”

Additional reporting by Press Association