Christopher Biggins has been left “depressed and infuriated” after being stripped of his licence due to a failed eye test.
The 76-year-old pantomime actor, who won I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in 2007, had to undergo the optical check while renewing his expired permit due to his age.
Despite claiming to have passed an eye examination at an opticians in London, Biggins allegedly received a letter from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) saying he had failed the test and wouldn't be getting his licence back.
He called the move “unfair”, telling The Daily Mail that he passed two extra eye tests, with medical practitioners giving him letters to send to the DVLA proving so.
According to the actor, the agency said the information did not prove he had met the medical standards required for driving.
Biggins insisted his vision has not changed, adding: “How can they disregard a hospital doctor and another optician? It has left me very depressed.”
“I travel a lot and I need to drive... It is costing me a fortune in taxis. It is very unfair.
“I'm absolutely infuriated with their ‘computer says no’ attitude.”
Biggins criticised the Labour government's plan for drivers over 70 to have compulsory eye tests every three years as “disgraceful” as “thousands could end up losing their licence unfairly.”
A spokesperson for the DVLA told The Independent: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, all drivers must meet minimum eyesight standards to drive a vehicle.
“Whether a driver meets the eyesight standards can be tested through various means, including visual field and acuity, depending on the circumstances. These standards apply to all drivers and, if someone does not meet the required standards they cannot be allowed on the road.”
As part of the proposed government plans, motorists over 70 could be banned from the roads if they fail compulsory eye tests. The move comes after an inquest into four deaths caused by drivers with failing eyesight, which saw a coroner call the UK's licensing system the “laxest in Europe”.
The changes are expected to be included in a new road safety strategy to be published by the government in the autumn. Ministers have said they believe that the current safety messaging is not working, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she supports the plans.
The UK is one of only three European countries to rely on self-reporting when changes to a person’s vision or health affect their ability to drive.
Current rules mean those aged over 70 must renew their driving licence every three years, and must tell the DVLA if they have a new problem with their eyesight – although this does not include being short-sighted, long-sighted or colour blind.
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