Alison Moonan, of Higher Downs, said she leaves Knutsford to shop because there is better parking and easier access for mums with pushchairs elsewhere.

"Why should I spend my money here when no one seems bothered about mothers with small children," she said.

"They have lost the amount of disposable income I have to spend because they can't give what my daughter and I require."

Mrs Moonan, who voted for pedestrianisation, can't push 20-month-old Anna down King Street or Princess Street because the pavements are too narrow and in need of repair.

Some town shops have to be avoided altogether.

"If there aren't any ramps up steps than we can't go in - these days I can't leave Anna outside in the street," she said.

Booths poses another problem because parking with a toddler is too awkward.

Last week the 27-year-old Eurocamp personnel manager received a parking fine after nipping into the supermarket to buy a bottle a milk after she had no change for a ticket.

To buy a ticket Mrs Moonan would have had to get Anna out of the car and in her pushchair to get change from the supermarket.

Then she would have to push Anna to the ticket machine on the other side of the car park, push her back, collect a trolley, sit her daughter in the seat and then put the buggy back in the car.

"It's really complicated and not worth the bother," she said.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Joanne McGarry, Booths' assistant manager, said they were committed to providing a service for mothers with young children.

Supermarket staff are trained to help if needed and four special parking spaces had recently been introduced, she said.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.