ANGRY disabled campaigners staged a protest outside a new book store in Kidderminster calling for a lift to be installed to improve accessibility.

Members of Wyre Forest Disability Action claim WH Smith Books, in High Street, is breaking disability discrimination laws by not providing a customer lift to the first floor.

A petition, which received support from more than 100 people during the two-hour demonstration last Thursday, has been sent to the company, which has denied it has infringed the legislation.

Mark Lawley, chairman of the disability action group, said members of the organisation were "very unhappy" with WH Smith's attitude and another protest was planned for December outside the store, which opened earlier this month.

He added: "The situation is a bit of a joke. We are all seeing red at the moment because of the basic lack of accessibility.

"People who go into book stores like to browse in their own time. Disabled people are only able to view half of the books in this store because of the lack of a lift. Parents with pushchairs and elderly people also have the same problem."

The 36-year-old added staff at the store had offered to fetch items from the first floor for anyone who was unable to get up the stairs.

A spokeswoman for WH Smith said the accessibility situation was "unfortunate" but the company had no plans to install a lift in the store at present.

She added: "We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause but, under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, we actually do not have to provide lifts in all of our stores. Obviously, we would like to but it is not always possible because of building regulations.

"In accordance with the Act, we make sure that disabled customers are approached when they walk in the store and are offered assistance in getting items from the first floor."