Council built cage for autistic schoolboy‎

The family of a Western Isles autistic school pupil are horrified that education bosses wanted to put him in a cage. After years of being taught indoors away from other students at the Nicolson Institute, the 18-year-old boy thought he was eventually getting a safe outdoor play area. Because of his severe form of his condition he is stuck on his own in a school room.

But insensitive education bosses at Western Isles Council erected a cage for him - supposedly as an outdoor recreational space. The family had even raised £500 to help out with the costs and were told it would be a fun area with decking and play equipment. Instead, the council erected a narrow caged enclosure like a dog run - built from linking six large steel mesh industrial site barriers together.



Angry Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan is pressing the council for a full explanation. He said: “I am extremely concerned over this. The family came to me over this issue. They are very offended and upset to be offered this. The boy has been taught on his own for six hours every day for years with no means of getting outside.”

The Comhairle (council) admits they got it wrong and have demolished the cage. A council spokesperson said: ““We try to be sensitive to the needs of all the children in our care. This enclosure was built with the best intentions, but perhaps the right degree of thought was not put into it. It was immediately deemed unsuitable and dismantled. We are in discussion with the child’s parents to solve this problem.”