A promising gymnast paralysed in a gym accident has been left high and dry because he can't get to his hydrotherapy pool in his wheelchair.

Builders suddenly stopped work at Josh Harcourt's property – meaning he cannot access the pool which is vital to his treatment.

The 32-year-old's mum, Maxine Harcourt, had paid £2,800 to Chatham -based firm Peter's Decking Services to replace a wooden platform at the family home in City Way, Rochester .

But "out of the blue" she got a text saying the company was unable to finish the job leaving the back garden looking like a building site.

All cash, paid in two instalments, has since been refunded.

But it has left Josh with a dilemma because he cannot get to the indoor purpose-built pool because there is no ramp.

He attends a relentless course of physio sessions throughout the week following his accident in September 2004.

At the time, the 16-year-old Rochester Math School pupil, who was part of the British squad, had been tipped to take part in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics.

But his dreams of becoming a world-class athlete were shattered when he broke his neck during a practice session at the Pegasus Gym Club near Maidstone .

The trained coach has been confined to a wheelchair ever since and told it is unlikely he will ever walk again.

Initially, as he spent weeks at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in north west London he was paralysed from the chin downwards.

But after extensive surgery and physio training he has gradually gained significant movement.

He leads an independent life and is engaged to 31-year-old lettings agent Rachael Kay.

He said: "The pool is an important part of me gaining and maintaining strength. The builders could see I needed a ramp to get to it.

"They did put in one but it was far too steep for my wheelchair, so they took it out. If they were going to pull out surely they should have prioritised and done the ramp. I think it's morally wrong."

Mum Maxine said: "They have well and truly left us in the lurch. The ramp they built was like a ski slope. We are willing to pay but are finding it difficult to get somebody else to do the job."

Peter, who declined to give his surname from Peter's Decking Services, said: "I felt the work was a bit beyond what we thought at the time of pricing it up, sadly I cannot comment on why we had to leave, it was for personal reasons. I was afraid on site for the virus basically.

"And I am sure that with the funds returned they will be able to find another company to carry on with the work."

If you can help the Harcourt family, please email our newsroom on medway@thekmgroup.co.uk

The family moved to the four-bedroom house, which includes a gym, in 2008.

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