The petition to stop a lift and modern staircase being added to Ledbury's Market House has passed the 3,000-signature mark.

Delighted organisers are planning to stop collecting names on Bank Holiday Monday. It will be handed to Ledbury Town Council at its next full meeting on June 12 at 7.30pm.

The petition, started a month ago, is the work of Barry Jenkins and pensioner Doris Mitton.

Mr Jenkins said: "If some of the town councillors could have stood with me and heard the remarks of visitors."

He said he was particularly pleased that a number of disabled people had signed the petition.

Proposals to install the lift and stairway have come about because of incoming disabled access laws.

After 2004, public buildings must be able to offer disabled access, or reasonable efforts must have been made to comply with the law.

Flo Atkinson, aged 72, of Dawes Court, is wheelchair-bound but agreed to sign the petition and be photographed doing it.

She said: "I'm fed up with old things having to be modern. It is so sad today, when I remember how things were. Any alterations to the Market House should be done so that they do not show up."

Mr Jenkins also stressed that he was not against disabled access for the Market House, only the present proposals.

The final decision will rest with the town council, which owns the 17th Century building and uses it for meetings.

Ledbury town clerk June McQuaid said: "I'm sure the council will accept the petition at the meeting."

The mayor of Ledbury, Coun Keith Francis, has already expressed the view that a wise course of action might be to close the Market House for a while to the public, as a "wait and see" policy.

This would allow time for the law to settle down and for further consideration to be given to the matter.

Anyone wishing to sign the petition after Monday should see Mr Jenkins at Foley House in Bye Street.