A severely autistic boy aged 10 has been banned from playing on a ”life-enhancing” swing at an East Neuk caravan park.
The parents of Jamie McLaughlan, who has limited speech and struggles with social interaction, were ”gutted” to receive a letter from park bosses on Saturday telling them that they would not be allowed to put their swing back up when the new holiday season starts in March.
For years, the special needs youngster, who has no sense of danger and an erratic sleep pattern, has enjoyed weekly weekend trips to the family-owned caravan at Elie Caravan Park.
But Jamie’s mum Nicola told The Courier the youngster had been banned from using the wooden swing they put up in their own caravan grounds in July.
Nicola (36), of Motherwell, said: ”It’s really upsetting. We put the swing up because Jamie can’t go off and play with the other children in the park.
”It’s all about inclusion and Jamie really looks forward to going on the swing every weekend we’re up. He has very limited language but passers-by always comment about the pleasure on his face when he’s on the swing. He has such fun. Now this. We’re gutted.”
Nicola, who works as a primary school teacher in Motherwell, and her husband Charlie (48), a plant service manager in Airdrie, spent £11,500 on their second-hand three-bedroom static caravan at Elie previously known as Shell Bay Caravan Park in 2006 and pay site fees of £2,000 a year.
It has been a popular destination for the whole family, including their other children Katie (7) and Charlie (4).
The money they were given to buy the swing was from the Scottish Government initiative Self Directed Support.
In a pilot feedback report, the initiative highlighted Jamie as one of its success stories because the swing had made such a difference to his quality of life and had reduced the stress of the whole family.
The letter from the caravan park owners confirms that earlier this year the swing was authorised by the park manager. It states, however, that authorisation cannot be given for subsequent years.
Elie Caravan Park is owned by Abbeyford Leisure and, when contacted by The Courier, sales and customer services director Kevan Lodge confirmed the swing could not be put back up.
He said: ”I do genuinely feel for them and their situation. It’s deeply sad. However, we were approached by a number of other caravan owners asking why there appeared to be one rule for one and not the other. This left us in an awkward managerial position.
”We review installations on our parks each year and I’m afraid this letter has gone out as a result.”