A mother in the UK has blasted security at Pink's concert in London after she claimed six guards forced her and her disabled son out of the show because he was dancing in the aisles.
Vanessa Vasey told the Daily Mail she took her seven-year-old son Jesse to see his favourite singer at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on the weekend. Moments into the concert, her son, who has Down Syndrome, wouldn't sit still and wanted to dance in the aisles, she said.
"When it came to sitting in our seats, Jesse didn't want to. So, we stood up by our seats and Jesse was dancing. We weren't causing any problems – Jesse is three feet tall and was entertaining everyone. Then six security guards showed up telling us we had to move," she told the outlet.
"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. It was absolutely horrific. I argued our case and the only [options] they offered us [were] to sit in the soundproof sensory room where Jesse wouldn't have heard any of the act and instead, would watch it on a screen, take our seats, or leave."
She then decided to leave the show, having paid over NZ$1250 for the tickets.
However, she angrily took to social media after the event to say her son was "robbed" of seeing his favourite act.
"Yesterday my little Jesse was robbed of his chance to see his idol Pink at Tottenham Hotspur stadium simply because he has special needs and didn't fit into the requirements for his seating," she wrote.
"Music is his life and Pink is one of his absolute favourites. We couldn't get him to sit in his seat, but he was happy dancing and singing at the front railings, and even interacting with some of the other guests. Doing no harm to anyone or obstructing anyone's view. This seemed OK for about half an hour or so.
"Just as Pink dropped from the sky in her opening number, we had six security guards come into the zone and asked us to leave or sit in our seats. We explained the situation and they were abrupt, intimidating and unpleasant whilst escorting us out of the zone - they treated us like criminals."
Her comments were picked up by a spokesperson from the venue itself, who has promised to contact her "directly" about the incident.
The spokesperson also said they had received complaints over Jesse blocking the view while dancing.
"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.
"On this particular evening, we did receive complaints from other guests that your party's position on the stairway was obstructing their view.
"Although our records show Ms Vasey purchased her tickets through Ticketmaster, we shall contact Ms Vasey directly."
Pink has not responded to the story, which has been picked up by major outlets across the UK and has seen her tagged in across social media.