Thomson stop blind woman from travelling to holiday without carer

A blind woman has spoken of her disappointment at being told by a travel company that she cannot fly unless she is accompanied by a carer.

Lauren Wigglesworth, 27, from Manchester, England, said she could not afford to take anyone else on holiday with her to Majorca, a trip she had planned to feel more independent.

She and a friend, Stephen Sherwood, 24, who is also blind, were due to fly to Palma for the break later this month after booking with Thomson Holidays at the beginning of the year.

Asked how she felt, Miss Wigglesworth told BBC Breakfast: “Very disappointed. I was looking forward to going on that holiday and now it’s not happening.

“We haven’t really got the money to pay for someone to come with us and that wasn’t the point of the holiday anyway. The point of the holiday was to feel independent.”