Mums

Carol Hutchins had been looking forward to a sunny break in the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, at the end of October, but she didn’t get further than the airport

A disabled woman has been left “very upset” after she missed her holiday to the Canary Islands because of her mobility scooter battery.

Carol Hutchins had been looking forward to a sunny break in the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, at the end of October. However, the mum-and-daughter duo’s dream trip ended at Manchester Airport, where staff told them Carol’s scooter couldn’t be loaded onto the plane.

Carol has been left “very upset” by the missed holiday and the fact that she’s over £1,000 out of pocket. There is no suggestion that TUI did not follow protocol. However, Carol and Layla’s experience serves as a warning to Brits travelling overseas with a mobility scooter.

A TUI spokesperson explained: “We’re sorry that Ms Hutchins wasn’t able to travel on her holiday, and we recognise how upsetting that must have been for her. This was due to them not having the required documentation and battery identification information for their electric mobility aid, which meant it couldn’t be cleared to fly under safety guidance. The TUI airport team supported her on the day and explored alternative options, which she chose not to accept.”

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Carol booked her holiday to the sun-soaked Canary Islands at the TUI Doncaster store on 23 October 2025. As the booking was made within two weeks of departure, the travel agent called the welfare team while Carol was in the shop, to make sure the mobility scooter was added to the booking.

When a mobility aid is added to a holiday booking, customers receive the Conditions of Carriage, which include important instructions passengers must follow before their flight.

They state: “The battery or batteries should clearly be labelled showing the type and the watt-hour (Wh) rating. Failure to show this can lead to refusal of battery or batteries. Please carry the manufacturer’s operating instructions with you, which will help you and the airport staff to block the vehicle’s electric circuits and remove the battery if necessary.”

According to TUI, the Conditions of Carriage were emailed to Ms Hutchins four times as her booking was updated, and given twice again alongside ticket documentation.

When Carol and Layla arrived at Manchester Airport on October 29, her battery did not have any visible ID label, meaning airport staff could not legally clear it under safety regulations.

An on-site duty manager contacted the resort team in Fuerteventura to find an alternative mobility scooter she could use on her holiday.

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However, according to Layla, Carol did not feel comfortable travelling without her own or with the idea that she might be without one for a period once at her destination.

According to TUI, Carol and Layla turned down the offer of two alternative flights and goodwill vouchers.

TUI’s website has a section that explains what customers on mobility scooters need to know and do before they travel.

Before flying with your electric mobility aid, you’ll need to:

• Check your battery type and specifications
• Provide battery details to TUI in advance
• Bring manufacturer documentation to the airport

TUI accepts these battery types:

• Non-spillable batteries (like AGM, Gel Cell, SLA)
• Lithium batteries with specific watt-hour limits:
• Single battery: maximum 300Wh
• Two batteries: maximum 160Wh each
• However, wet cell (spillable) batteries are not permitted on TUI flights.

Important pre-flight steps:

• Share your device’s battery details with TUI as early as possible
• Bring manufacturer documentation showing battery specifications
• If documentation is unavailable, check the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) website or contact your device manufacturer
• Remember that spare or removable batteries must be carried in the cabin

Parents who lost their son at 14 days old opened up on BBC Breakfast on Thursday (February 26)

A grieving mum has claimed her concerns were “shut down” as she opened up about the loss of her baby on BBC Breakfast.

Robyn Davis – whose son Orlando died at 14 days old – appeared on the BBC show on Thursday (February 26), where she said that she was made to feel “like I was going insane and that my concerns weren’t valid or real”.

She spoke out during a report about maternity service failings, with host Charlie Stayt explaining: “Maternity services in England are failing too many families with problems at every stage of maternity journey. It’s the interim conclusion of the national review being led by Baroness Amos.”

His fellow presenter Naga Munchetty continued: “It has identified six factors that impact care, including racism, staffing and culture. The health secretary Wes Streeting, who commissioned the review, has promised to act on Baroness Amos’ final recommendations which are due in April.”

The programme then cut to a report from reporter Michael Buchanan, who said: “When an inquiry in 2015 found that 11 babies and one mother had died avoidably at Furness General Hospital due to poor maternity care, the NHS promised the mistakes would never happen again. Over a decade later, more than 10,000 babies are estimated to have died in England due to maternity errors.”

He went on: “Orlando Davis died in 2021 at 14 days old. Maternity staff failed to recognise his mother had become ill in labour and Orlando was born in a poor condition.

“An inquest found his death had been contributed to by neglect.”

Orlando’s mum Robyn said: “They actually made me feel like I was going insane and that my concerns weren’t valid or real because every time I raised them, they were met with a quick shut down. And because of this, I genuinely believe that that’s why our son is not here.”

The baby’s father Jonathan Davis said: “The number of individuals that were involved in this situation, this wasn’t one or two, this was multiple midwives, multiple consultants and registrars across a prolonged area of time from in the community to in hospital. This was not a one event caused an outcome.”

The report said the family’s experience is supported by Baroness Amos, “who says problems occur at every stage of the maternity journey”.

It went on: “The issues, she says, are caused by cultural leadership of maternity units with midwives and obstetricians sometimes not cooperating, workforce with units not being fully or properly staffed, racism and discrimination, including against poor women, a lack of accountability when things go wrong and outdated and dilapidated buildings.”

The report said that the health secretary “has promised to ensure the review’s final recommendations due in April are enacted”.

“But a maternity safety task force that Wes Streeting also promised to establish by now hasn’t yet been created,” it said. “He says it will be shortly.”

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BBC Breakfast airs on BBC One from 6am.