A COUNCIL leader has taken up the challenge to prove he wants to improve a town centre for the disabled -- by agreeing to travel around in a wheelchair.

Hyndburn's Coun Peter Britcliffe has agreed to complete a route set out by Accrington Shopmobility to experience the problems faced by disabled shoppers.

He will be joined by three other council members to make use of a motorised scooter, an electric wheelchair and a manual wheelchair.

Richard Day, Shopmobility chairman, dreamed up the idea as a way to point out the problem areas in the town which he says people with disabilities constantly have to struggle with such as raised kerbs and badly positioned posts.

He said: "The council has made attempts to benefit disabled people but they still have a long way to go and some new developments do not take wheelchair access into consideration.

"We have recently had complaints about newly raised kerbs in Manchester Road.

"And one of the worst places is in the town hall. Although there is a lift for disabled people there are five fire doors to navigate between the lift door and the ball room which is horrendous."

For the wheelchair challenge, Richard is considering the task of getting from the Whalley Road Shopmobility store to Accrington Jobcentre, in Oak Street.

Richard added: "Their biggest problem is going to be parking near to the store and I can almost guarantee that they will not make it to the arcade in Church Street but it will be an interesting experiment."

Coun Britcliffe accepted the challenge immediately and said that he would send invitations to recruit another three people. He said: "I am definitely up for the challenge. It is very important that we look at it from this angle as we would like to see how people using these vehicles can cope with the town centre. We will then be able to draw up an audit of what needs attention as I think a disabled audit is something that is very important."

The challenge was raised yesterday as Shopmobility -- which provides free use of motorised scooters and wheelchairs to disabled shoppers -- received a £500 grant from Hyndburn Borough Council's Community Chest Panel.

The charity store applied for the cash boost when Ashdale Healthcare Limited, the company which provided three quarters of the funding for the Shopmobility scheme, pulled out of the charity when receivers were called in last November.

But the store is currently celebrating the fact that its future is secure again thanks to a new financial backer. Lakesway Mobility, based in Morecambe, is investing £20,000 over three years including paying the rent on the building and utility rates.

The shop has also been revamped and the new equipment moved in. The fleet of disabled vehicles now comprises of seven scooters, six power chairs and nine manual chairs.