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HERO’S VICTORY
I was stripped of my blue badge on a technicality but now I’ll get it back thanks to The Sun, says amputee war veteran
The Blue Badge is a lifeline for the wounded war hero
ROYAL Marine amputee hero Ben McBean will be handed back his blue badge after an intervention by The Sun.
The Afghanistan veteran, 36, was left fuming when Plymouth City Council rejected his application to renew the vital parking aid — which he needs after losing a leg and an arm in a Taliban blast 16 years ago.
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Delighted Ben, currently recovering from a broken ankle after a fall on Remembrance Sunday, said he was “grateful” for our work after the lifeline pass was re-issued.
He added: “It’s great to know that I will get it back because right now I do need it to get around with the way my ankle is.
“It will help me get to the key places I need to be and to have got the decision changed so quickly is great.”
He also praised Veterans Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer, who is also his local MP, adding: “Johnny was straight on to me asking him to call me, but I didn’t see it for a while because I was busy.
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“He left me a voicemail and a text and said he would get it sorted as he knows what it means to me.
“I really appreciate his help. He helped me get my badge in 2021 as well.
“But not everyone in my position can call on a Government minister or a newspaper to help them and that’s why there needs to be more of a discussion about how the system can work better.
“It just needs to be done on common sense grounds and made less about box ticking, where the person who approves you doesn’t even see your face.”
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A source told The Sun the rejection had been overturned on Tuesday night after discussions between the council and the Office for Veterans Affairs.
Plymouth City Council said the application had been rejected as Ben had changed his name within the last three years.
A spokeswoman said: “We have contacted Mr McBean to help him resolve an issue caused when he submitted a renewal application under a different name, which meant his details were not recognised.
“If he had submitted an application under the name on the current Blue Badge, it would have been renewed without issue.
“We are now helping Mr McBean renew his badge as soon as possible.”
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