A woman with chronic multiple sclerosis has been left disgusted after shopping centre staff refused to help her for ‘health and safety reasons’.

Sarvat Khan, who can only walk a few metres with a crutch due to the degenerative condition, is reliant on an electric scooter when out shopping.

She asked staff at The Mall, Blackburn, to lift her 42kg scooter from the car boot to the ground so she could assemble it before going shopping.

But after three years of helping her, they refused claiming policy had changed and due to health and safety reasons they could no longer lift the scooter out of her Volkswagen Golf.

Mall bosses said the change was down to insurance and training reasons and they had contacted Mrs Khan to discuss the issue.

But Mrs Khan, 39, of Whalley Range, Blackburn, said she was offered a Shop Mobility scooter for a £2.50 charge. She refused.

The mum of two said: “I was shocked and disgusted. Lifting out the scooter helps me keep my independence.

"As a disabled person, they took that away, but said I could have it back at a cost.

“Why should I pay £2.50 for a Shop Mobility scooter when I have an electric scooter in the car?

"I was willing to sign a letter which said that I would never claim if anything happened.”

Mrs Khan has written to The Mall and asked if they would consider either lifting out the scooter but not building it, waiving the cost of the parking charge, or the Shop Mobility charge to enable her to continue to shop more easily at the centre.

They have declined the proposals.

Loraine Jones, The Mall Blackburn general manager, said: “We have been in contact with Mrs Khan regarding the assembly and disassembly of her scooter by security officers on the car park.

"After extensive consultation with security provider, VSG, we have informed Mrs Khan security officers are no longer in a position to provide this service because of training and insurance reasons.

“Considerable thought has been given to this matter, but we have a number of customers with mobility needs that shop here and we need to ensure that everyone is treated equally.”