MUST try harder. That was the verdict on pubs in a Kent village following a test of their premises for disabled access.

A team from the Mote Lodge Cheshire Home, Staplehurst, set off on a pub crawl around the village to carry out a “pub accessibility audit” in support of the national Make a Difference Day campaign.

Volunteer support manager Carolyn Robinson said: “We wanted to see how wheelchair users would get on if they wanted to go for a drink in Staplehurst.

“We wrote to all four pubs in the village first telling them what we were doing so that we weren’t too intimidating when we turned up.”

“Obviously, as a wheelchair user, if you can’t even get in you've had it. But even inside there is a lot that publicans could do to make their premises more accessible to wheelchair users.

“More space between the tables, menus at the tables, not just on hard to read far-off blackboards. Even a lower bar so that they can actually reach over it to pay for their drinks.”

“It proved quite an eye opener, even for me. To be honest, I think everyone was a little disappointed.“

* Next week’s Kent Messenger will publish their full verdict and pub reaction.