Didcot's Mayoress, who uses a wheelchair, said she cannot attend a civic dinner in Wallingford on April 23 because of poor disabled access to the historic town hall.

The issue has erupted into an embarrassing row. Mayor of Didcot David Giaretta pointed out that under the Disability Discrimination Act 2004, "to deny access to a public building is unacceptable".

In different circumstances, Dr Giaretta said he might have called upon the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, Dr Nick Hards and his wife, Eleanor, to attend in their place.

But in a strongly-worded reply to the invitation from Wallingford Mayor Betty Atkins, Didcot town clerk Julia Underwood said that Dr Giaretta and his wife, Pip, were "both extremely upset" and under the circumstances Didcot would not be represented at the dinner, which will be held in the council chamber of the 337-year-old Grade 1 listed building.

In a faxed response to Mrs Underwood, the town clerk of Wallingford, Mr Andrew Rogers, said Mrs Atkins was disappointed that Didcot Town Council did not feel able to send a representative to the dinner, and hoped that the council would do so in future years.

Mrs Giaretta, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, said: "While there is a stair lift from the ground floor, Wallingford Town Hall does not have a lift to accommodate my wheelchair. It means that no one in my situation can get to any sort of event in the town hall."

What Mrs Atkins and her colleagues on Wallingford Town Council perhaps might not have realised when they invited the Mayor and Mayoress of Didcot was that Dr and Mrs Giaretta are seasoned campaigners for improved access for the disabled -- especially to public buildings and particularly in the light of the new Disability Discrimination Act, which comes into force in October.

Mrs Giaretta, a former town councillor, is chairman of Didcot Access Group, which represents and campaigns for better access for the disabled.

While acknowledging the problems of access to the town hall for the disabled, Mrs Atkins said that the council was considering improving on the stair lift for wheelchair users.