A DISABLED voter whose difficulties on polling day led to a £31,000 improvement scheme has given a hall revamp his vote of approval.

Retired prison officer and furniture restorer Mike Bell had problems trying to get into the Memorial Hall at West Tanfield, near Ripon, for last year's elections.

He told local councillors and local Tory MP Anne Mc- Intosh of his difficulties and the village hall committee went into action.

It applied successfully for grants totalling £23,000 from Yorventure, the Yorwaste-backed community grant scheme, and funds from the Aggregates Levy, paid by the quarry industry.

Grants from Hambleton District Council and North Yorkshire County Council and a gift of money and materials from Nosterfield Quarry also helped building work to get under way.

Mr Bell, who will be 70 next month, returned to the hall to perform the official reopening after the improvements, which include a larger entrance area and an access ramp for wheelchairs.

He said: "The polling station staff were very helpful, but the difficulties brought home to me - as a recently disabled user - that the hall badly needed access improvements for people with mobility problems.

"As a former parish councillor myself, I knew the committee had wanted something to be done for many years and the grant funding has made it possible."

Ms McIntosh said: "Disabled voters should have equal access to their polling stations. I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all the organisations whose contribution made the improvements possible."

The construction work was carried out by Nosterfield building contractor John E Moxon and the architect was Terence Keirnan of Mickley.