A DESPERATE dad-of-seven left in agony by a tight electronic ankle tag has thought about cutting his leg off because he fears going back to prison if he takes the device off himself.

Carl Lloyd of Warndon Green, Warndon, Worcester went to A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester on Monday - but says medics refused to cut the tag off and the tagging firm has not been out to see him.

The 54-year-old carer says he has been in excruciating pain for about a month which is now becoming unbearable. He is now struggling to walk, blaming a combination of water retention and the tight electronic tag.

His leg is red and swollen while ulcers (that had all but gone) are beginning to return and he says he is so desperate he has even contemplated cutting off the tag himself, even though he fears it would put him in jail.

Worcester News: OUCH: Carl Lloyd with his badly swollen leg which he says is in pain because of the electronic ankle tag OUCH: Carl Lloyd with his badly swollen leg which he says is in pain because of the electronic ankle tag (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

However, after a six hour wait, he said emergency doctors would not remove the tag, fitted around six months ago. The dad says he cannot sleep and is doing his best to cope with painkillers. 

"I feel like taking a steel saw to my leg. I feel like my leg needs to come off. If I take my leg off, they won't nick me but if I take the tag off they will. It's a nightmare. I feel depressed as hell.

"It's really getting to me now," he said.

He is supposed to be able to move the tag up and down his leg but, at times, his leg is so swollen he cannot even see the strap where it bites into his flesh let alone move it.

The former heroin addict, who maintains he has been clean for 20 years, said the tag was fitted as part of his bail conditions to keep out of Martley where his ex-partner lives though he has no intention of going back there.

Worcester News: SORE: Carl Lloyd's red and swollen ankle which he says has been caused by the ankle tagSORE: Carl Lloyd's red and swollen ankle which he says has been caused by the ankle tag (Image: Supplied)

The tag started causing him pain around a month ago and he says nobody from EMS, which installed the device, has been out to adjust it despite him calling their helpline numerous times.

"I can't even touch it. If I touch it, it feels like it's burning. My leg feels like it's on fire.

"The hospital didn't want to know. I don't think they wanted to get in trouble (for cutting off the tag)," said Mr Lloyd.

Worcester News: WAIT: Carl Lloyd says he waited six hours at Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E but it was 'a waste of time' as medics would not cut off his painful ankle tag WAIT: Carl Lloyd says he waited six hours at Worcestershire Royal Hospital's A&E but it was 'a waste of time' as medics would not cut off his painful ankle tag (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Lloyd,  a carer for his 74-year-old bed-bound mum, said he showed doctors the leaflet with the EMS number on it and someone on the phoneline told the doctors it was okay to cut the tag off.

He added: "This is affecting the care I can now give to my mum. I told them at the time 'don't put it on too tight because my legs swell up (due to water retention)'. I said then 'that's going to be bad'. They have never been out to look at the tag in six months. 

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"Everyone says if I cut the tag off myself I will go to prison. I can get up to five years. But I'm in agony.

"All they (EMS) have to do is come out and loosen the tag. All the hospital had to do was cut off the strap. EMS would have come out and put another strap on. They didn't want to do it. I felt angry when I came out. I told the doctor what I thought of him. I wasted a whole day up there."

Worcester News: OW: Carl Lloyd examines his swollen leg at his home in Warndon where he cares for his mum OW: Carl Lloyd examines his swollen leg at his home in Warndon where he cares for his mum (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Mr Lloyd, who has been to prison before, does not want to go back but feels increasingly like he has no choice but to act himself.

He said: "I know what it's like. It ain't a great place to be. You're on your own and that's that. You're left to your own devices. You go a bit stir-crazy. I hear everybody is on Spice. I don't want to be part of that."

A call handler for EMS said an electronic tag could be removed for medical reasons and the advice was for the patient to go to their GP, A&E or a walk-in centre and 'they are allowed to take the tag off'.

He also said EMS could talk to the doctor or medical professional while the patient was present if they were reluctant to remove it.

"He can't take it off himself," he said.

We have also approached Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust for a comment.