Wheelchair users have been banned from entering the Grosvenor shopping centre after orders from fire chiefs.

On Thursday security guards are stopping people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters from entering the premises.

And those accessing the ground-level indoor market have been given escorts to prevent them entering shops.

It follows a safety inspection by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

But the move has provoked upset and anger from bewildered customers.

Diane Parton, 51, has staged a protest by the outdoor market, refusing to leave.

She said: “We are being told by staff that the centre failed a fire safety inspection because in an emergency anyone in a wheelchair or scooter in one of the shopping units cannot get out without having to go up or down stairs.

“I don’t know what has changed, but I’ve been coming here for years without any problem.

“The disabled and elderly are being discriminated against. It’s outrageous.”

Nora Leigh, 93, was also escorted from the building when she entered the centre.

She said: “This place is our lives. We come here for shopping, for company. It’s hopeless.”

One woman, who didn’t want to be named, remonstrated with security staff after her grandmother was asked to leave.

She said: “I’m fuming. She’s an 85-year-old woman and she has been told to leave. She’s very upset.”

A sign posted outside the centre said: “Following instruction from Cheshire Fire Authority, we regret that we are currently unable to allow access to the Grosvenor Centre for disabled or mobility impaired persons.

"We are working with our tenants and the Fire Authority to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”

Eskmuir Securities, which owns the shopping centre, and Cheshire Fire Service, have yet to comment on the incident.