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| Paralympian tells of train toilet 'humiliation' | Paralympian tells of train toilet 'humiliation' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Paralympian says she ended up wetting herself on a three-hour rail journey because the disabled toilet was out of order. | A Paralympian says she ended up wetting herself on a three-hour rail journey because the disabled toilet was out of order. |
| Anne Wafula Strike, of Harlow, said she felt "humiliated" after the incident on a CrossCountry service from Nuneaton to Stansted last month. | Anne Wafula Strike, of Harlow, said she felt "humiliated" after the incident on a CrossCountry service from Nuneaton to Stansted last month. |
| She said train staff knew of her plight but by the time they reached a station with a disabled toilet it was too late. | She said train staff knew of her plight but by the time they reached a station with a disabled toilet it was too late. |
| CrossCountry said the incident was "unacceptable". | CrossCountry said the incident was "unacceptable". |
| LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories | LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories |
| The 42-year-old Kenyan-born wheelchair racer is a board member of UK Athletics and has an MBE for services to disability sport. | The 42-year-old Kenyan-born wheelchair racer is a board member of UK Athletics and has an MBE for services to disability sport. |
| On the day of the incident, she said, she was returning home from a "very positive UK Athletics board meeting". | On the day of the incident, she said, she was returning home from a "very positive UK Athletics board meeting". |
| "They put me on the train and there was a wheelchair assistant there with a ramp," said Mrs Strike, who said she was not warned in advance the train's disabled toilet was out of order. | "They put me on the train and there was a wheelchair assistant there with a ramp," said Mrs Strike, who said she was not warned in advance the train's disabled toilet was out of order. |
| "After half an hour I felt I needed to use the rest room and to my amazement the toilet was boarded up with a sign saying it was out of order. | "After half an hour I felt I needed to use the rest room and to my amazement the toilet was boarded up with a sign saying it was out of order. |
| "I waited for the ticket master to come and she was very sympathetic and said she would get me off at the next stop so I could use the toilet there and then they would put me back on. | |
| "But at that particular station there was nobody on the platform to help me. The next possible platform was Peterborough. | "But at that particular station there was nobody on the platform to help me. The next possible platform was Peterborough. |
| "Between me asking for help and getting to Peterborough I just had to do it, I ended up wetting myself. My dignity was taken away, I was humiliated." | "Between me asking for help and getting to Peterborough I just had to do it, I ended up wetting myself. My dignity was taken away, I was humiliated." |
| A spokesperson for CrossCountry said: "Clearly the circumstances of Mrs Strike's journey were unacceptable. | A spokesperson for CrossCountry said: "Clearly the circumstances of Mrs Strike's journey were unacceptable. |
| "This is the first time we're aware of such a situation ever happening on one of our trains and we are still investigating how all our established procedures for caring for a customer in a wheelchair could have failed so terribly." | |
| They said Mrs Strike had been in touch with the company through her MP and the CrossCountry managing director had replied to offer "sincere apologies". | They said Mrs Strike had been in touch with the company through her MP and the CrossCountry managing director had replied to offer "sincere apologies". |