Disabled army veteran brought to tears as new bathroom installed after last ‘fell apart’

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

An army veteran who relies on a wheelchair was left in a “disgusting” property where he said he felt like he was going to fall through the floor of the bathroom.

Grant Scott, 49, lives in Penge, in Bromley, with his family. Mr Scott was moved into his home in Penge in 2014 after suffering a spinal injury in the army 10 years earlier, when he was unloading missiles from a helicopter.

His condition gradually got worse and the dad is now wheelchair-bound as a result of his osteoarthritis.

The veteran’s condition means he’s unable to get into baths and requires a specially-fitted wet room to wash himself. After living in the home for three years, Mr Scott said the wet room in the house had become structurally weak.

Mr Scott said: “The previous one had pretty much fallen apart. If you jumped on the floor upstairs, the ceiling of the wet room would have caved in.”

He added: “It had become so that if I fell over, I would have gone through to the kitchen. That’s how bad it was. We’ve still got the watermarks from where the wet room leaked into the kitchen. It’s just diabolical how the housing association has been with us.”

Mr Scott said Clarion, the housing association managing the property, carried out multiple repairs on the wet room but used “every excuse under the sun” to avoid the cost of refurbishing the space.

After the dad’s occupational therapist (OT) called the state of the space “disgusting”, Mr Scott contacted the Royal British Legion charity for help.

He said: “Unexpectedly, the Royal British Legion came down, had a look at it, and got the OT’s approval. They said nothing else and within a few weeks, everything was all done. I thought, ‘oh my god, look at this,’ I was honestly in tears.”

He added: “It’s been brilliant, I’m thrilled to bits, I just love it. I didn’t feel safe using it before.”

The Royal British Legion had also helped provided Mr Scott with carpets and kitchen appliances when he moved into his Penge home. The veteran said he was originally too proud to ask for help while dealing with his injury,

The dad said: “They have been amazing, they’ve been a lifeline. I still don’t like asking for help, it’s just the pride. But there’s no harm in asking sometimes, everybody needs a little bit of help.”

The Royal British Legion’s interim director of services, Nina Villa, said: “Christmas can be a time when people’s troubles and worries are exacerbated by the financial pressures of the season or feelings of loneliness and isolation. We want the Armed Forces community to know that we are here for them, whether that’s to offer financial support, companionship, or a friendly ear.”

Clarion was approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.

Pictured top: Grant Scott, 49, in his updated wet room in Penge (Picture: Grant Scott)