‘Major step forward’ at university

DUNDEE University has launched its “greenest” cutlery and crockery to mark World Environment Day.

The institution has moved to new, fully compostable plates, glasses and coffee/tea cups and lids — a first for any university in Scotland.

Plates, glasses, cups and lids can all now go in food waste bins while improved cutlery and plastic pots for desserts and sauces are 100% recyclable.

Trudy Cunningham, an environment and sustainability officer at Dundee University, said: “I am delighted we are the first institution i n Scotland to purchase these fully compostable cups and lids and that our whole range is eco-friendly. It is a major step forward.

“By reusing and recycling we can save energy, water and staff time.

“It also means t hat this year’s graduates from the university will be celebrating their degrees at our events with our fully recyclable wine glasses made from recycled materials.”

Gary Deasley, 19, from Douglas — who also suffers from cerebral palsy — was gifted the scooter last year when Dundee United players turned up out of the blue to hand it over to him.

But he has been left without the machine after it was damaged beyond repair in a fire at a back garden in the Happyhillock area — where it had been kept while Gary was abroad.

The teenager told the Tele today that the loss of the “life-changing” scooter had left him a virtual prisoner in his own home.

He said: “Whoever did this wants to try living in my shoes for a day.

“The loss of this mobility scooter has left me virtually housebound.

“It means I have lost my independence and am once more having to rely on friends and family to help me get out and about.

“All I’m doing now is sitting at home in my room getting more and more depressed.”

The scooter had been given to Gary by a charity.

He said: “The gift of the scooter made all the difference to me.

“It meant that I could finally have a bit of independence and freedom, but now that it’s been destroyed because someone set it on fire, that’s all gone again.

“I tried to go out last week without it and I ended up having a bad epileptic fit and being taken to hospital with a broken nose and a badly bashed-up face.

“I feel I’m right back to square one before I was given the scooter.”

Gary’s mum Yvonne Worsley said

A DISABLED Dundee teenager who can have up to 10 epileptic fits a day has slammed the “callous thug” who set fire to his mobility scooter.