Road safety crews 'filled up' disabled bays

Emergency crews were in Hartlepool for a road safety event

An accessibility campaigner has criticised emergency crews which "took up all" the disabled parking spaces outside a shopping centre for a road safety event.

Cleveland Police ran the event at Teesbay Retail Park in Hartlepool on Thursday, in partnership with Cleveland Fire Brigade and National Highways.

Tracie Bestford said there were plenty of other "normal" spaces available and "disabled bays are there for a reason".

The force said it was allocated some of the disabled spaces and would take the concerns on board.

Ms Bestford, from Hartlepool's Community Led Inclusion Partnership (Clip), said road safety events were "fantastic and much needed", but she was "disappointed to see an event over at Teesbay Retail Park that took up the whole of the disabled parking bays".

"To us that just shows that disabled people are just not considered."

Allocated spaces

She said many disabled people are not able to walk far and would therefore need closer access to retail units.

People with mobility aids and wheelchairs also need enough room to get out of their vehicles, she added.

Ms Bestford, who is a community development lead at Clip, offered to work with the emergency services on future events.

A Cleveland Police spokesperson it would "look to seek alternative spaces in the future".

"We recognise that the spaces we were allocated were some of the disabled parking bays, and understand this has raised some concern."

The force added the area was chosen to minimise risk to pedestrians.

Teesbay Retail Park owner Mason Partners has been contacted for comment.