BEING disabled, a visit to the new Sainsbury’s store in Bicester was a disappointing venture.

On entry to the car park on level one, above the store, an electronic display informed us that there were 10 disabled parking bays free.

So we parked in the nearest one available. What it didn’t tell us was that the lift to the supermarket floor was at the other end of the car park and there were no signs either. We only found out by asking another customer.

I then endured a long, painful walk to the far end of the car park, where we eventually found the lifts, the doors of which tried to close as I entered the doorway, knocking me off balance.

I was only prevented from falling by another customer grabbing my arm. Once inside the lift, it was not obvious which floor to select on the lift button. Another customer said the lift’s floor levels were not necessarily the same as the floors they stop at. On exiting the lift, again the doors closed very quickly, and I only just managed to emerge without being hit. On the supermarket floor there were hardly any signs but we could see a big cafe sign indicating the cafe was on another level.

Asking a checkout operator how to get to the cafe, she said the lifts were at the other end of the supermarket floor but did offer to get me a wheelchair.

By this time I was exhausted, so we decided we had seen enough and were pleased to leave.

Is this the type of new store we can expect in the future, with little information for disabled shoppers and layouts to persuade shoppers to buy other than what they came in to get?

ADRIAN TAYLOR, Duncan Close, Eynsham