Blind girl banned from taking walking cane to school over 'health and safety' fears

Lily-Grace Hooper's mother says her walking cane has become like an 'extension of her arm'

Lily-Grace using her cane in a video shot by her mother Kirsty (Youtube/Kirsty Hooper)

A blind girl has been banned from using her walking cane at school over "health and safety fears".

Lily-Grace Hooper, seven, is virtually blind after suffering a stroke when she was just four days old and needs the cane to get around.

But Hambrook Primary School in Bristol said she could no longer use the cane after a risk assessment said the cane was a "high risk" to teachers and other students.

The school said she should have "100 per cent" adult support at all times instead.

Her mother Kirsty said having a helper following her around would isolate her from the other pupils.

She told the Bristol Post that the walking cane, given to Lily-Grace by blind children’s charity Common Sense Care earlier this year, had become "an extension of her daughter’s arm".

She said: "I am absolutely livid. What about the health and safety of my girl? I like the school, they are a good school, but this really is very poor advice. She hasn't had any problems with any of the other students, and none of the parents have complained about it – in fact, they have all been very supportive."

Ms Hooper said she is reluctant to take Lily-Grace out of the school because her daughter loves it and she only hopes "common sense will prevail".

The Health and Safety Executive rubbished the claims of the school saying there was nothing in the regulations that would ban a child from using a walking stick in school.

Jo Dent, Hambrook Primary School headteacher, said: "The school's mobility officer raised health and safety issues around the new cane following a recent risk assessment.

"The pupil has not been banned from bringing in their cane, we have simply asked them to not use it around school as a temporary measure, until we have the chance to meet with the parent and discuss the situation.”