GoSkydive: Teen with Down’s syndrome told he couldn’t skydive

“We’ve raised all this money, the fundraising for the gym, we’ve all had days off work, we’ve arrived, and it’s a ‘no’.”

Lloyd’s grandparents had travelled from Cardiff to cheer him on, but the incident had left Lloyd very disappointed.

“The rest of the team decided not to jump because Lloyd couldn’t, and Lloyd was disappointed about that,” she said.

“We’ve had so many barriers, so many doors shut in our face in the past.

“We’ve felt we’re getting somewhere with inclusivity, and then this happens.”

GoSkydive’s managing director Gordon Blamire said he supports his team’s decision to “get to know Lloyd better before taking him skydiving”.

“There is no doubt that we could have better communicated the requirement for Lloyd to be assessed prior to his visit to GoSkydive, for this we are extremely apologetic.

“We continue to learn and improve our interactions and this instance drives direct change in our policies.

“While we understand the frustrations of Lloyds’ family, our commitment is to Lloyd’s wellbeing. We want the opportunity to get to know Lloyd, his conditions and what he needs from us before we can take him skydiving.”

The national governing body, British Skydiving, says anyone with a disability should speak to the chief instructor at the sky diving school before entering into any commitment.

Additional reporting by Colette Hume.