A shopping centre has begun work on a dedicated sensory room for people with disabilities after securing funding from the council.

Charter Walk Shopping Centre in Burnley has been awarded more than £55,000 in funding from Burnley Council to create a room to ensure people living with disabilities have a more comfortable shopping experience.

The room will be specifically designed to provide a safe and comfortable space for shoppers suffering with sensory overload away from the hustle and bustle of the centre.

Plans for the room also include state of the art changing facilities including a lie down bed suitable for adults and a hoist.

Centre Manager, Debbie Hernon, said: "Our mission here at Charter Walk is to ensure that all shoppers, regardless of ability, have the best possible experience and the sensory room that this funding will help us build will go a long way to ensuring we meet that mission.

"The room is expected to launch in time for this year’s Purple Tuesday and will be a central part of our efforts here this year.

“Everything that we have done to make Charter Walk more accessible to disabled shoppers began with last year’s Purple Tuesday.

"Seeing the amount of progress that we’ve made since then and hearing how much of a difference we’ve made in our shoppers lives motivates us to do more and I’m looking forward to everything we can achieve in the next twelve months."

Purple Tuesday is a national day held on November 12 that focuses on changing the customer experience for disabled people.

So far, Charter Walk staff have received specialised training to become Autism Champions and have also introduced weekly Quiet Hours to help shoppers who feel overwhelmed by too much noise.

Burnley council boss for housing and leisure, Councillor Ivor Emo, said: "We want to use this funding to provide first class facilities and services for disabled residents and visitors and improve not only their quality of life, but also for their carers and families."