An actor who had his toes CHOPPED off and stitched onto his hand says his disability has helped rather than hindered his acting career. Richard Stott was born with a rare birth defect called Poland Syndrome, which causes webbing to the fingers and deformity. He has had around 15 operations to date - the biggest of which saw the second toe on each foot removed and grafted to his left hand when he was 11. But rather than becoming withdrawn, 28-year-old Richard has embraced it, and is now using it to his advantage to get niche roles. He said: “I was having a hard time using my hand when I was younger, but I didn't notice it. "My feet look exactly the same. People don’t notice at all - there’s hardly any scarring. It doesn't affect me." At school, in Beverley, East Yorkshire, Richard's disability caused no problems - even during PE lessons.
