A TOWN museum should be closed because of its unacceptable disabled facilities, according to a town councillor.

Councillor Athol Deakin (Lab-Sidemoor) has labelled Bromsgrove Museum's facilities as 'unsuitable' and has called for the museum to be closed until they are improved.

After attending a meeting of the Health and Leisure Scrutiny Committee on October 26, Cllr Deakin said: "The council has the lack of knowledge about disabled facilities. This needs to be improved, we cannot continue to discriminate against disabled people."

It was decided at the meeting an investigation would be carried out by members to look into the facilities, after it was thought the museum did not provide good enough access for disabled visitors.

"There are also shops in Bromsgrove that make it very difficult for disabled people, this is not acceptable," Cllr Deakin added.

Robbie Hazlehurst, the district council's corporate director of health and leisure, said: "To close the museum would be an unnecessary step, if it was an issue of safety it would be a different matter, but it is not.

"The facilities will be looked at by members of the Health and Leisure Scrutiny Committee but it is a listed building and so can be difficult to make changes. Disabled people can visit the museum and to take that away because of potential changes would be unfair."

Cllr Deakin added: "If the work costs too much money then the museum should be moved, maybe to the Avoncroft Museum."

Leader of the council and former owner of the museum, Dennis Norton (Con-St Johns) said: "I would support the museum moving to another site if the right building could be found. There is no point spending money on extra facilities if the museum is to move."