DISABLED people on a Darlington estate say they feel trapped because of a lack of wheelchair ramps.

Vera Maven and Elizabeth Wake, of Deepdale Way, on the Red Hall estate, are wheelchair users. They say the lack of ramps and dropped pavements on their estate makes it difficult to move around.

Mrs Maven, 42, and her husband, Philip, 40, asked Darlington Borough Council to provide more ramps but were told it was not a priority.

"There are ramps but there are not enough," said mother-of-four Mrs Maven, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

"To get to lots of places on the estate I have to go on to the road in my wheelchair. If I want to have a ride up to Morrison's supermarket I just can't get there because it is too dangerous.

"It is mad. They give you a wheelchair to help you but you can't use it because there is no way of getting out of Red Hall."

Mrs Wake, 51, who was paralysed down one side of her body after an aneurysm, said the estate had a high proportion of wheelchair users.

"In Deepdale itself there are quite a few," she said.

"Lots of people are fed up about the lack of dropped pavements.

"You can't go anywhere round here unless you drive along the road, which is illegal and dangerous."

In an email to Mr Maven, the council's highways manager, John Ray, said schemes to provide ramps in other areas were a higher priority.

"Another avenue for such improvements would be via footpath refurbishment schemes," he said.

"Unfortunately there are no schemes planned for this area in the coming financial year, but your request will be borne in mind for future schemes."

Mr Maven said: "Their response is just a load of rubbish. They weren't interested really and basically said they can't do a thing. But people feel trapped because they can't get to where they need to go."

Ward councillor Chris Mc- Ewan said he was committed to finding a solution and would talk to the council's highways department.