A NEW labelling device will help blind shoppers distinguish between products they have bought at a town centre supermarket.

Customers can be accompanied by a friend or member of staff at Asda in Kirkland Street, St Helens, who can help with their shopping selection.

Once the goods have been selected, either the staff member or customer services can label the selected items with a braille gun. The labels will enable blind customers to identify the items of shopping once they get home. The gun also prints on the sell-by date of the product.

Trish Pemberton, general store manager, said: "We want all our customers to enjoy the Asda shopping experience. Hopefully, the new gun will go some way to making life a little easier and perhaps more independent for our blind or partially-sighted customers. I am sure it will be a huge hit."

And Pauline Irvine, customer service manager, added: "Tins of beans or peas and cereal and soap powder boxes are all pretty much the same when it comes to feel, making it difficult to distinguish one item from another. With the new 'Braille Gun', however, hopefully this will no longer be a problem".