A TRAIN crash hero from Largs says he cannot go outside to his own garden after the council botched a handrail fitting at his house.
Former conductor Colin Paton, 72, has mobility problems and asked for railings to help him get around his home safely, but now he is involved in a battle with North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership over one of them.
Colin was seriously injured in the Ladbroke Grove disaster in 1999 which killed over 30 people but he saved many lives.
He not only rushed to the aid of his passengers despite his head injuries but also ensured the electricity was cut from the overhead power lines and calmly radioed ahead to stop a high speed train that was only minutes away.
Colin, who lives in a ground floor flat in the north of town, says the handrail fitted at his patio by North Ayrshire Council Health and Social Care Partnership is far too small and he needs it to be extended and continued inside the building if he is to use it safely.
He says an occupational therapist has told him that he cannot use it without assistance.
It means he is stuck inside instead of being able to go outdoors and sit in his patio.
He told the News: "In November, my occupational therapist said I needed rails in the bathroom and shower and for the patio.
"The council did come to sort the railings in my bathroom, but unfortunately the patio railings are still no good for me, and it is not possible for me to reach out.
"I just want to be able to use my outdoor patio during the good weather but at the moment it is not possible."
Colin, who was in hospital earlier this year because of a low blood sugar count, says he cannot understand why the council cannot provide him with a proper handrail.
He said: "This has driven me mad.
"It would be relatively straightforward, but it took me a few months to get the bathroom and shower sorted.
"Another option is to extend the step and put in an additional rail to help me.
"I phoned up the council to invite their representatives to explain why they can't do the patio railing
"They said there is a long waiting list, but why could they not have put in a longer railing for the patio?
"Apparently the bathroom and shower rail are done in-house by the council, but another contractor is required for the patio railing."
Colin was also a former naval seaman on a submarine as well during the Cold War in the 1960s, but his name became well known in the 1990s for his heroic actions after the horrific railway crash.
A total of 31 people died with a Great Western Train collided with another train on October 5 1999.