A CHARITY has issued a plea for help to allow overweight people with mobility problems to access scooters and wheelchairs in the town centre.

Shopmobility, based within the Legh Street car park in Golden Square Shopping Centre, lends mobility scooters and wheelchairs to shoppers with mobility issues.

Its equipment can take a maximum weight of 35st, but in recent months Warrington Disability Partnership - the charity that runs the scheme - has had to deny access to a number of people over this limit.

A number of scooters have also been damaged when people weighing more than 35st have used scooters and wheelchairs - costing WDP nearly £2,000 in repairs.

Dave Thompson, co-founder and chief executive of the Sankey Bridges-based charity, said: “There is a growing concern within society today that people are getting bigger, and unfortunately the mobility scooter market has not kept pace with this.

“If people over 35st were to use the equipment it could do damage to them and damage to the piece of kit itself, which would then be out of action for dozens of people.”

WDP is now hoping to raise £6,000 in order to purchase a mobility scooter with a weight limit of 65st.

The plea comes as new figures from the charity revealed that people who use the Shopmobility scheme spend around £720,000 in the town centre every year.

Dave added: “We’re putting a call out to any organisations, individuals or businesses for small donations to make this happen.

“A lot of people are actually overweight because of medical conditions or musculoskeletal problems.

“This will enable these people to maintain their social networks, to allow them to go to pay a bill or just to do their shopping.

“Large parts of the town centre are pedestrianised and you can’t necessarily park near to the area you want to get to, so Shopmobility is a vital lifeline for lots of people.”

For more information email davethompson@disabilitypartnership.org.uk or call 240064.