Lord Blunkett calls for action on ‘death trap’ tube platforms after ‘horrific’ fall | UK News

Lord Blunkett has described the ‘horrific moment’ when he fell into the gap between a tube train and the platform, breaking his legs.

It has prompted the Labor peer, who is blind, to demand action on what he calls “death trap” platforms.

He told Sun on Sunday about the incident when he tried to board one London Underground train at the District track three weeks ago with his guide dog during rush hour.

“When I took a step to enter the subway, I suddenly felt both of my feet disappear into the gap. Looking back, I must have lost my footing because the ‘gap’ between the subway and the platform was so big,” he said.

He said he suffered “excruciating pain” in his legs and “was really worried.” He added: “I recently had a heart attack… any bleeding or bruising is dangerous.”

An X-ray confirmed “extraordinary bruising” but no broken leg, and he says he is “angry” about what happened.

“When you enter a London Underground station, you hear the tanner warning people to ‘watch the gap’. But all too often there are no staff to actually help you if – like me – you can’t see.”

He called on Transport for London (TfL) to do more to keep visually impaired people safe, including identifying platforms with the biggest gaps and narrowing them.

“On the day of my accident, the employee who was supposed to attend the platform had been called away because someone had been attacked.

“Obviously it’s crucial to always have someone on hand, especially during peak hours. Some of our platforms are death traps.”

Nick Dent, London Underground’s director of customer operations, said: “We were very sorry that Lord Blunkett was injured on our network.

“We have written to and will meet with him to discuss how we could have handled the incident better and to ensure lessons are learned.

“The safety of our customers and staff is at the forefront of everything we do and although injuries like the one experienced by Lord Blunkett are rare, we carry out a wide range of work aimed at eradicating such incidents and making travel even safer for everyone.”

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Lord Blunkett added that he does not scare easily.

“I’ve been navigating Britain’s streets and stations with my guide dog for decades. But that day I was startled.”

“How many others have fallen and been seriously injured because of the gap? We need action now to avoid preventable injuries or worse,” he said.