A WORKING group is being set up to tackle problem hot-spots for the disabled after leading councillors experienced the difficulties for themselves.

Travel sickness tablets, a big woolly blanket and nerves of steel were all called for when the three councillors agreed to take part in a special wheelchair challenge in Accrington town centre.

Hyndburn Borough Council leader Peter Britcliffe, leader of the opposition Ian Ormerod and former mayor of Hyndburn Coun Bernard Dawson all agreed to it in the name of research for 90 minutes.

As a result Coun Britcliffe has now asked Richard Day, Accrington Shopmobility chairman, to head a new disabled working access group as part of the town centre regeneration board.

It will carry out a full audit of problem hot-spots and set up a plan of work to be carried out, including funding requirements.

Coun Ormerod has also vowed that should the Labour party come into power on May 2 he will consult with Mr Day on an access group which will look at the problems faced by people with all kinds of disability, including those with hearing difficulties or who are visually impaired.

The challenge -- from disabled charity Shopmobility -- involved each of the councillors taking a mobility vehicle for a jaunt around the town centre.

Obstacles such as traffic lights and lampposts in the middle of pavements, high kerbs, dropped kerbs that do not line up properly on the other side of the road and inappropriately placed scaffolding were among the problems they faced.

Coun Britcliffe, in a manual chair pushed by chairman of the chamber of trade Mike Carney, set off from Shopmobility in Whalley Road, down Broadway, through the Church Street Victorian Arcade, to the job centre in Oak Street and back to the shop, via the bus station.

After his exhausting and often bumpy journey Coun Britcliffe said: "This challenge has been wonderful as it has clearly made the point about the problems there are. It will be extremely costly to solve but we do need to look at ways of accessing money to tackle these things positively."

Coun Ormerod took to the road in an electric scooter for his trip to Asda. After his expedition he said: "I found the experience extremely useful, even though I had reservations at first. I hope what has been learned can be put into use for long-term benefits."

Coun Bernard Dawson used an electric powerchair to get him to his destination of Accrington library, with a return route through the Arndale Centre.

Mr Day said: "People think it seems really easy to get from one point to another but it isn't easy at all when you can't just step up or down a kerb.

"This has helped to point out some of the problem areas in the town and hopefully we will see some further improvements as a result."