A LOCAL disabled woman is helping to solve access problems in Skipton Town Centre.

Edna Smith, of Victoria Mill, Belmont Wharfe, has launched a campaign to get more dropped kerbs in the town to make travelling around easier for anyone in a wheelchair or pushing a pram.

The 84-year-old was delighted to receive her new motorised scooter at the weekend, but when she went to try it out was horrified to discover the number of places she could not get to.

Mrs Smith has suffered with arthritis for a number of years and has had a push along a trolley to help her walk for the last four years.

When the pain became too much she decided to get a motorised scooter so she could keep her independence and go out in the town she loves.

But, her first trip out into town was not the fun experience she thought it would be.

Having gone over Belmont Bridge just minutes from her house she could get no further. There was no dropped kerb to help her get across Coach Street and she found herself stuck.

"I could not get off the kerb," she said. "I have met other people who have said it is terrible here with the kerbs."

She said that her scooter was not road worthy and so she had to travel along the pavements and cross the roads like any other pedestrian.

"I could not get a road worthy one because I was too frightened it was too big," said Mrs Smith.

She has spoken to officers in North Yorkshire's highways department and is trying to come up with a number of places which are restricted to disabled people because of the design of the paths, so that something can be done.

"I love Skipton and everyone else does. But I think something needs to be done to open it up for disabled people," said Mrs Smith.

Highways divisional engineer Richard Marr said he had an Aids for Mobility budget and could fund a number of dropped kerbs.

He said more were needed around the town and they would be installed at the top of the High Street, on The Bailey, and on both sides of Belmont Bridge across Coach Street and Belmont Wharfe by September.

He said he had asked Mrs Smith to help identify other places where they were needed because she was best placed to be able to spot them.

This is not the first time that disabled people have complained about access in the town.

The Herald has reported on numerous occasions people not being able to get wheelchairs over the cobbles on the High Street, in and out of Skipton Town Hall and along paths blocked by vehicles.