MOTHERS with young children say they suffer buggy hell when faced with trying to gain access to St Neots bank. The steps at the Abbey branch in High Street, St Neots are proving to be an obstacle for parents with push chairs and for people with disabiliti

MOTHERS with young children say they suffer buggy hell when faced with trying to gain access to St Neots bank.

The steps at the Abbey branch in High Street, St Neots are proving to be an obstacle for parents with push chairs and for people with disabilities.

So fed up with struggling to pull their buggies up the steps, some mothers are now contemplating changing banks.

The issue has sparked complaints on the online forum www.st-neots.co.uk

One mother said: "I can't be the only mum in St Neots that uses Abbey. Having to get up those steps with a child in a buggy is getting on my nerves.

"To get into the building you need to go up the steps. Should you need any assistance, there is a doorbell to ring and they'll assist you. The doorbell is up high once you get up those steps. So you have to get up the steps to ring the bell. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk up those steps, but what about those that can't?"

Town Councillor Doug Terry has written to Abbey to try to get the situation resolved.

He said: "I've written to their head office in London pointing out the difficulties that the disabled and mums with babies have in accessing their branch in St Neots and I'm awaiting their response."

Cllr Julia Hayward said the problem was also affecting people with mobility difficulties.

She said: "I think that this raises bigger questions as disabled people will also find it very difficult. I personally can't see how asking someone who is in a wheelchair to wait outside in the rain while someone comes out to them is reasonable."

She said access should be improved or the building's side door, which houses an indoor cash machine, should be reopened.

A spokesman for Abbey said the building is listed and no structural changes can take place to make it any more accessible. She said staff would continue to do all they could to ensure customers can easily gain access inside the bank.