BLACKBURN with Darwen Borough Council has been criticised by the borough's disabled community.

It emerged a wheelchair ramp to one of its buildings cannot be used without a three-point-turn.

The ramp outside the old town hall in Blackburn town centre has such a sharp turn electric scooters are forced to reverse and manoeuvre to negotiate the bend.

Wheelchair user Margaret Veale, 64, of Lawrence Street, Bank Top, said: "The last time I attempted to come down that ramp I scraped the paint off the side of my scooter. There just isn't enough room to use it properly."

A spokesman for Blackburn disability group Group Learning Activities for the Disabled said: "Many buildings and shops around Blackburn don't really cater for people with disability but as this is a council building it really should."

Blackburn with Darwen Council executive director for corporate resources Donna Hall said: "A complaint was raised with the council and alterations were made to the ramp as a result of the useful input of disabled users.

"Smaller framed scooters can now ascend and descend the ramp effectively, but there appears to be a problem with some of the larger framed models.

"Any of our customers with larger vehicles can come to the back door."