An accident which left a reporter needing the temporary use of a wheelchair has proved an eye-opening experience.

Hayley Parker, from Staffordshire's Post & Times Series, took her wheelchair into Uttoxeter to find out if the town centre's £1.6m revamp was disabled friendly, and she claims it wasn't.

The 26-year-old had broken her ankle after tripping on her way home from a night out, and following her operation was loaned the wheelchair to help her get around.

But when she ventured into Uttoxeter with the help of a colleague, she discovered a few obstacles that she had failed to notice when she simply walked down the street.

These included gullies along the main high street, cobbled streets and granite surfaces.

Hayley (pictured) said: "When I came back to work I still had the wheelchair and so I suggested the idea of taking it into Uttoxeter to see what it's like.

"It was quite interesting, but had I been on my own it would have been incredibly difficult.

"The gullies along the main high street are not deep, but they are a bit awkward and if you get stuck they are difficult to get out of.

"I've never really noticed them before, so it was quite eye-opening."

Hayley also spoke to other wheelchair users, and found many had the same difficulties.

They also shared concerns about the cobbled streets - which one man saying he feared his mobility scooter would break because they made it shake so much, and about granite street surfaces which they fear will become slippy in the winter.

Hayley said: "I don't suppose Uttoxeter is any worse than any other town centre, but all this money has been spent and yet a big section of the population appears to have been ignored."

County, borough and town councillor Geoff Morrison told the Post & Times that the council was aware of issues with some parts of the regeneration and that one of the guiding forces for the money being spent was to make it easier for people in wheelchairs.

He said it remained to be seen whether the Chinese granite would be slippy, but the gullies were needed to drain water away because granite is not porous.

He said: "What I would say is that it is possible to manoeuvre yourself around the town without having to go in the gullies. And a number of dropped curbs and crossing points for the disabled have been put in.

"The majority of people are happy with the revamp but you will never be able to please everybody."