What kind of person pretends to be disabled just to watch a match?

WE used to laugh at Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin on Little Britain because the concept seemed so outrageous. The thought of an able-bodied man tricking his good-willed but gullible mate into pushing him around in a wheelchair when he was perfectly capable of walking felt too far-fetched to be true.

The allegation that Manchester United fans have been impersonating disabled supporters to get into away games this season is no laughing matter, however.

In fact, it’s downright disgraceful. What kind of person takes a ticket intended for a disabled supporter and then goes to the length of acquiring a wheelchair so they get into a stadium to watch a game of football? The kind of idiots who think they won’t then be spotted jumping around celebrating a goal at the next game.

And what about the people who facilitate it in the first place? The disabled ticket-holder who may be complicit in the scam and any middle men looking to make a few quid?

Because as Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’

Association, points out this not a victimless crime. Other disabled fans are being denied a precious opportunity to see their team play. ‘I promise you, for many of them, time is not on their side,’ he says.

Mr Banks has dedicated himself to helping out the less fortunate. Two years ago he was made an MBE for services to people with disabilities in Greater Manchester and the North West of England, so he was understandably outraged when he levelled the allegations at a recent fans’ forum. ‘Scumbags’ was the word he used, and it is hard to think of a better one.

It is only fair to point out that the problem may exist at other football clubs around the country where interest is high and tickets are scarce. But it has come to light at United where the club have had to resort to high-tech measures to keep out unscrupulous fans.

Last week, Mail Sport revealed that United had rolled out plans to beat the touts by locking digital tickets to specific devices and hiding QR codes to scan at the turnstiles until three hours before kick-off.

But besides increased ID security how would you weed out imposters in wheelchairs without subjecting disabled fans to degrading checks? As usual, the innocent ones would pay the price. The people behind this should be ashamed of themselves.