THOUGHTLESS motorists who make life difficult for disabled people in Darlington are to be targeted by police.

Officers have received complaints about drivers obstructing dropped kerbs, which are designed to help wheelchair users.

The worst affected areas are said to be opposite the post office in Crown Street, and outside the Citizens Advice Bureau in East Row.

Fixed penalty tickets have also been given to drivers parking across kerbs near the car park in Commercial Street.

Police are now cracking down on the problem, with community support officers making regular patrols of the hot-spot areas.

Sergeant Tim Kelly said: "The dropped kerbs have been installed by borough council engineers to help people with a wide variety of disabilities.

"No one is allowed to park across the kerbs, not even users of the disabled persons' blue badge scheme.

"By doing so, motorists are presenting a genuine danger to vulnerable pedestrians, especially those who are blind or partially sighted."

The initiative is being backed by Darlington Association on Disability chairman Gordon Pybus.

He said: "We have been highlighting for a number of years the problem disabled people face when motorists leave their cars over dropped kerbs.

"Although a great inconvenience to wheelchair users, it can be a real danger to a blind person, who can find their way blocked, leaving them effectively stranded."