Boy with Down’s Syndrome ‘kicked out of Pink gig’ because he wouldn’t sit in seat

A mum who spent more than £600 on tickets for she and her seven-year-old son to see Pink has claimed they were treated ‘like criminals’ because her son couldn’t sit still.

Vanessa Vasey, 48, took her son Jesse to see his favourite singer at Pink’s tour in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend – but Jesse, who has Down’s Syndrome and sensory disorders, struggled to sit still.

In preparation for this, Ms Vasey, from Belton, Great Yarmouth, brought her friend Kirsty to stand near the seating area while her son danced.

But just before Pink went onstage, they were confronted by a group of security guards who told them to go back to their seats.

Ms Vasey claims when she explained the situation, she was told to sit down or leave the concert.

Afterwards, she said four other security guards arrived and escorted them out as the singer arrived onstage.

Ms Vasey told The Mail: ‘We couldn’t wait as it was going to be such a special moment for us to experience together. On the day, I didn’t take his disability buggy as the ticket said there was no storage. 

‘But when it came to sitting in our seats, Jesse didn’t want to. And in the lounge area, the blinds had been pulled down. So we stood up by our seats and Jesse was dancing.

‘We weren’t causing any problems – Jesse is 3ft tall and was entertaining everyone. Then six security guards showed up telling us we had to move. 

‘When I explained about Jesse’s disabilities, they said there was nothing they could do – we either had to sit in the seats or leave.’ 

Ms Vasey said the staff offered for them to sit in the soundproof sensory room, but feared Jesse would have to watch it on a screen without hearing any of the act.

She said: ‘Jesse was upset. We were intimidated and by the time we decided to go, there were 10 of them around us – including security guards, people in suits, other employees and they literally escorted us out of the building like criminals.

‘All Jesse has now is memories of me crying, being upset and angry and the whole intimidation and people being unkind to us. I think Pink would be disgusted if she found out.’

Ms Vasey had paid £630 on tickets which had lounge access, to allow Jesse to move about the restaurant areas so he wouldn’t be stuck in his seat.

She said: ‘I’d like venue staff to have greater knowledge and understanding to support everyone equally in a manner in which they’re able to be comfortable and supportive regardless of their needs.’

A Tottenham Hotspur Stadium spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘We are aware of the complaint that has been posted on Facebook, which has not been received directly.

‘As a venue that prides itself on providing fully inclusive facilities for all, we are extremely sorry to hear that Jesse did not enjoy a positive experience at Saturday night’s concert.

‘Following further investigation, we can confirm that Ms Vasey was offered assistance by our Safeguarding and Welfare teams throughout the night to provide Jesse with a comfortable viewing experience, including access to our dedicated Sensory Room.

‘The offers of assistance were declined by Ms Vasey and the party chose to leave the event.

‘Although our records show Ms Vasey purchased her tickets through Ticketmaster, we shall contact Ms Vasey directly. The safety and security of all event attendees remains our upmost priority.’

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