1 September 2012 Last updated at 11:22 ET

Shopmobility charges are introduced in Gloucester

Charges have been introduced for people who use a Shopmobility scheme in Gloucester.

The service, which provides scooters and powered wheelchairs for people with disabilities, was free in the city.

Now a daily hire charge of £3 has been introduced "as a result of pressure on council funding", a Gloucester City Council spokesperson said.

Councillor Jenny Dallimore said the authority would "continue to monitor the impact" of the charges.

She said: "I fully understand the concerns about affordability especially for those users on limited incomes.

"We will be reviewing the changes and monitoring the impact on the usage and taking feedback from those people using the scheme - the changes certainly aren't fixed for the long term."

An annual membership scheme, costing £24 per year, will also be introduced from 1 October.