A Cockermouth pensioner is calling for the council to make town roads and pavements more accessible for people with mobility issues.

Marie Payne, 90, lives at Abbeyfield Court, on Lorton Road. She uses a mobility scooter to get around town.

Mrs Payne regularly has to go to Cockermouth Community Hospital but three times in the past few months has ended up stuck on the kerb on Castlegate.

On each occasion passers by have had to help her. She has approached the town council for help.

She said: "I make frequent trips to the hospital using my mobility scooter.

"The journey is difficult because of the lack of dropped kerbs at the top of Brewery Lane.

"At other times, narrow pavements are blocked by wheelie bins.

"I would like the town council to support me in asking the county council to provide an accessible route to the hospital from the town centre, for the benefit of all people with mobility problems?"

Eric Nicholson, a town and county councillor, has been in touch with her to say the kerb at the top of Castlegate has been improved.

She said: "He was very helpful and I really appreciate that. We do need more done though. The road at the top of Brewery Lane is very rough and potted, you have to be very careful there.

"It's difficult to cross whether you are on a scooter, have a pram or wheelchair or are simply elderly."

Councillor Nicholson said: "As a county council we are always keen to support people with mobility issues and do whatever we can to ensure they can keep their independence.

"Any problems they have we take seriously. We would ask people to contact highways about any specific problem places which they would like us to look at."

While she could avoid Castlegate by going through Jennings Brewery, that would mean having to go along High Sand Lane, which has no pavement. 

"I'm not meant to go on the road on this size of scooter, unless I'm crossing it, but it can be so difficult around her," said Mrs Payne, who has also got stuck on Challoner Street various times.

"Some of the roads and pavements need to be made safer and little ramps put in where there are high kerbs to make it easier for everyone."