ROYAL Marine amputee Ben McBean was stripped of his blue badge yesterday — and angrily said: “I don’t understand how much more disabled I have to be.”
The Afghanistan veteran was hailed by Prince Harry as a “real hero” after he lost an arm and a leg in 2008.
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Royal Marines amputee Ben McBean stripped of his blue badge Credit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
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Ben fumes: ‘I don’t understand how much longer I have to be disabled’ Credits: Bill
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Prince Harry hailed Ben as a ‘real hero’ after losing an arm and leg in 2008 Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
But council officials decided he was ineligible for parking assistance, despite only having two limbs, one of which is currently broken.
The former commando, 36, told The Sun: “If you’re a double amputee, you have a disability, there’s no doubt about it.
“I found the badge very useful to use, especially when I needed to visit the hospital.”
Ben, who is nursing a broken ankle after falling on Remembrance Sunday, continued: “I’ll be 37 next week.
“I’m not getting any younger.
“My limbs will start to tingle.
“It’s wrong to take away my ability to get the help I need.
“I walk with two limbs and one is broken, so what happens if I fall and hit my head because I have to walk longer?”
Ben, from Plymouth, was awarded a blue badge when he returned home after being blown up by the Taliban – 16 years ago today.
He was recalled a year later after running the London Marathon on a prosthetic leg.
He finally got it back in 2021 thanks to local MP Johnny Mercer.
Ben applied to rebuild it but the offer was rejected by Plymouth City Council yesterday.
He was told his disability payments were not high enough to qualify.
Ben said he was also offended by the suggestion he could pay £10 to re-apply.
He continued, “I won’t bother.
“When you fill out the form, there is no place where I can write my injuries.
“If I could actually tell them that I’m a double amputee, it would be a lot easier.
“Instead, it’s a series of boxes relating to add-ons, and I’m not clearly ticking the right boxes or I haven’t met the right criteria.
“So that’s stupid.”
They turned to the Office for Veterans for a statement.
A spokeswoman for Plymouth City Council said: “We are now helping Mr McBean get his badge renewed as soon as possible.”
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Ben received a blue badge when he returned home after being blown up by the Taliban — 16 years ago today Credit: Getty
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Ben applied to have his badge renewed but the offer was turned down by Plymouth City Council. Credit: Getty
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Source: HIS Education