A PARTIALLY-SIGHTED woman has launched a campaign for a pedestrian crossing in Lyme Regis after the town centre was deemed 'unsafe' for her to have a guide dog.

Lizzie Wiscombe, who is registered as blind, has appealed for Lyme Regis Town Council to support her campaign for a Broad Street crossing after being told by the Guide Dog Association that she cannot have a guide dog - leaving her 'isolated'.

Speaking at a meeting of the town council's planning and highways committee, Miss Wiscombe said: "I am effectively unable to leave my house independently without some help. I am isolated.

"I need help to get me safely into the main street of Lyme because it is so dangerous.

"Lyme has no crossing and so therefore it would be unsafe for me and the dog to be around independently in Lyme.

"I have to drag somebody around with me if I want to actually walk around Lyme."

Town councillors approved organising a survey to gauge public opinion about the idea of a crossing.

It is thought a crossing could cost Dorset County Council between £30,000 and £50,000 to install.

Cllr Brian Larcombe said: "This is about the principle of whether or not we should provide something for visually impaired residents and visitors.

"There is currently no crossing in the town at all. If we are going to look at anything, I would strongly suggest it is the puffin crossing."

Mayor Owen Lovell suggested that Dorset County Council would be unlikely to put a crossing where 'there have been no major injury accidents'.

Councillors were told the authority had looked four years ago about installing a crossing, but the plans were met by a hostile reception from traders, worried about loss of parking spaces on Broad Street.

Cllr Michaela Ellis said: "We still have lorries and vans that are parking on the wrong side of the road.

"Once they are parked there and you have traffic stopped coming down the road, it is going to cause an awful jam up in the town."

The campaign for a Broad Street crossing has gained the backing of the Guide Dog Association, which confirmed Miss Wiscombe could not currently have a guide dog partnership in Lyme Regis.

Katie Smith, engagement officer in Dorset for the Guide Dog Association, said: "Our mobility instructor felt that Miss Wiscombe could possibly benefit from a guide dog.

"Unfortunately, we could not go any further in exploring this as the routes Miss Wiscombe walks are not safe enough and are unsuitable for a guide dog partnership.

"We fully support the need for a safe crossing point in the central area of Lyme Regis."

Speaking after the meeting, Miss Wiscombe said she welcomed the council proposing to launch a survey, but couldn't see how there could be any objection to a crossing.

"Using the fact that no-one has been killed there is just nuts," she said.

"Do they want me to go up there and try to cross the road on my own? It is very, very unsafe for anybody with visual impairment.

"I know that there is support out there. People just need to know that they can have their say."