Ex-rugby league player Andy Johnson denied new home for ill son

Retired rugby league player Andy Johnson has been denied planning permission for a purpose-built home to help his incurably ill son.

The former Wigan Warriors winger, who retired in 2005, has a seven-year-old son who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which is likely to confine him to a wheelchair before he turns 12. Many sufferers die before their 30th birthday.

Johnson and his wife had hoped to build a home that would meet Jack's needs and be closer to Wigan Infirmary, where he receives treatment, but Wigan Council said that the plans were not suitable for green belt land.

The council cited nine letters of objection to the planning application, with neighbours concerned about parking and congestion that the new property could bring.

Around 1,500 people in the UK suffer from DMD.