'It's ridiculous' - blind man given door too small for wheelchair (From Enfield Independent)

'It's ridiculous' - blind man Paul Davies from Enfield Highway given door too small for wheelchair

3:38pm Monday 4th March 2013 in News By Hermione Wright

A blind father whose dog was stabbed in a robbery is condemning the authorities for replacing his broken door with one too small to fit his wheelchair.

Paul Davies, of Broadfield Square in Enfield Highway, says his front door broke when crowbar-wielding thugs broke into his property in November.

The 39-year-old said the criminals demanded money before stabbing his 15-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier in the neck with a ten-inch knife in front of him and his 16-year-old son Jay.

His dog Bailey was rushed to the vets to receive multiple stitches and survived the attack.

The property, which is managed by Enfield Homes, is intended to be suitable for disabled people, but when the door was replaced three months after the attempted robbery, it was found to be too small for his wheelchair to pass through.

As well as being registered blind, Mr Davies also suffers from a degenerative nerve disorder, diabetes and depression and fears his condition will worsen in time.

He claims the door, which is eight inches smaller than his first door, is poor quality and does not believe will protect him if him and his son are targeted again.

He said: “I don’t know what in the house makes it disabled if I can’t even get through the door.

“If I am in that much pain, I won’t go out, but if I have to go out, I have to go out. It’s not fair to have to rely on other people.”

Mr Davies has just 20 per cent vision in his left eye and is currently relying on friends and family to help him leave and enter his home. 

He is concerned he will become house-bound if the authorities do not have a change of heart.

Mr Davies' father Kenneth is extremely concerned about his son’s welfare in light of recent events and claims the door is not strong enough to protect his family from further attacks.

Kenneth said:  “For the last three months, he can’t sleep. I just feel that people should know this – that the council just aren’t doing anything, they just can’t be bothered. It is so disgusting.

“All he wanted was what he had – he wasn’t asking for something he didn’t have.

“He needs help, that’s all. He needs a little bit of help.”

The Enfield Independent is waiting for a comment from the council and Enfield Homes.