SHOPPERS are being asked to blow the whistle on supermarkets that fail to cater for the disabled.

Darlington Association on Disability (DAD) is joining a national campaign to ensure that disabled parking spaces are not used by able-bodied shoppers.

The national Baywatch Group wants to ensure that supermarkets are enforcing disabled parking bay restrictions and encouraging shoppers not to use special places.

Tesco, Safeway, Asda and Sainsbury's have already agreed to talk to the Baywatch Group about improving the situation.

To help the campaign, Darlington Association on Disability's access interest group has written to all of Darlington's supermarkets.

The shops are being asked to enforce the disabled parking spaces and then members of DAD will visit the stores to see if the rules are being kept.

Gordon Pybus, chairman of the Access Interest Group, said: "We are going to keep checking the stores but we are not going to approach anyone who is breaking the rules.

"We will simply note which supermarket it is and what time it happened and we are asking members of the public to make similar notes when they see someone in a disabled parking space when they shouldn't be.

"It should be a matter of common sense but with the Disability Discrimination Act it is more than common sense for supermarkets.

"They could be taken to court if a user thinks that disabled spaces are not being kept for them."

Mr Pybus believes that supermarkets could use a variety of methods to impose the disabled bays.

He said: "It can be as extreme as clamping but it should not come to that.

"Members of staff could simply make regular checks on the car park.

"A lot of people do it without thinking of the inconvenience it causes disabled people. Disabled people are not the problem and we should not be excluded."

Anyone who sees someone without a disabled persons parking badge in a designated bay is asked to note the time, date and the name of the supermarket and call (01325) 489999