Disabled veterans jeered at swimming pool

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/22/narmy322.xml



Injured soldiers who lost their limbs fighting for their country have been driven from a swimming pool training session by jeering members of the public.

The men, injured during tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, were taking part in a rehabilitation session at a leisure centre, when two women demanded they be removed from the pool. They claimed that the soldiers "hadn't paid" and might scare the children.

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The unpleasant scenes broke out at Leatherhead Leisure Centre in Surrey when the wounded veterans, who are at Headley Court Military Hospital, had to use the 25-metre public pool because the hydro-pool at the defence rehabilitation centre is not big enough for swimming.

The servicemen were about to begin their weekly swimming therapy in closed-off lanes when they were verbally abused by the swimmers.

One woman in her 30s was said to be infuriated by the lane closures saying the soldiers did not deserve to be there when she had paid.

It was also reported that others complained that limbless servicemen were scaring children at the centre.

The atmosphere was said to be so tense that the soldiers' instructors removed them.

Charles Murrin, 79, a Navy veteran who saw the incident, said: "The woman said the men do not deserve to be in there and that she pays to come in the pool and they don't. I spoke to the instructor in the changing room afterwards and he was livid."

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NY Vet Comment- Sorry to inconvenience you bitch. Next time we will make sure that your sensibilities are not offended by making sure that they are wearing their signs that say unclean.

Enough said.

I'm not often one to want to suggest violent solutions, but that woman... :grr: :nuke: Poor her, having to look at people who've been injured. Why doesn't she try living as one for a while, and then she can talk. Damn.

not that that makes it ok but brits may not be as nationalistic, or gung-ho troops . . . as we are.


ellen fl

It's bad enough these soldiers have lost limbs and also lost small priviledges. Someone should have told that woman to come back later if she was so-o sensitive.

The pool should've thrown THEM out for causing a disruption.

I would have paid the entrance fee for the soldiers and told the whiners to STFU. Stupid twits. :grr: