A CRICKET bat for disabled people has been designed by a North-East student.

Leanne Cracknell, a final year Design for Industry student at Northumbria University, worked with disabled cricketer Will Hardy, who plays for Newcastle Cricket Club, to come up with the radical new design.

The bat has been designed specifically for cricketers who have lost an upper limb and can be adapted to fit their needs depending on the area and severity of their limb loss.

It features a removable armrest that the player can attach their prosthetic to or rest their shorter arm on, if they have one. They are able to change the size of this depending on the length of their arm.

It also has a removable handle which can easily be removed using one hand by pressing a spring button and pulling the handle out.

A wide variety of handle shapes, grips and sizes are available to tailor to each player's specific needs and wants.

"The design allows disabled cricketers to use both arms, just like a non-disabled cricketer, so it allows them to have more momentum and power when they strike the ball," said 23- year-old Leanne.

The new design, which is mostly made from willow, has been approved by the English Cricket Board.

Leanne, who also plays for Newcastle Cricket Club, took her inspiration for the bat from the Paralympic Games.

"The concept could be developed for a variety of other sports," she added.

The cricket bat will be on display at the REVEAL: Design show which runs until June 27 at City Campus East every weekday between 10am and 4pm.