A COUNCILLOR is urging the public to support a petition to get lifts installed to help the disabled and elderly at a tube station in Harrow.

Councillor Sue Anderson (Greenhill, Labour) started the petition a fortnight ago and has collected around 200 signatures to urge Transport for London to get lifts installed for Harrow-on-the-Hill tube station.

The councillor said she wants step-free access for the station at the heart of the town centre especially as Harrow Council wants to improve the area through £496,000 given by Mayor Boris Johnson's Outer London Fund in August.

Some of the money was last month spent on twenty-one giant illuminated tulips installed in St Ann’s Road to mark Diwali.

Cllr Anderson said she wanted "all the public" to benefit from the money to be spent on the area.

She said: “It is not just for the disabled and elderly but also for the parents with prams and people who are carrying heavy shopping and would find it difficult to climb the stairs.

"It’s great that we have got money from the fund to brighten up the town centre and organise events, but without lifts at the tube station not everyone will be able to take part.

“Better access is needed as it is a real no-go area for a lot of people. We hope to start an online petition as soon as possible for this.”

Wayne Trevor from London Underground said that due to lack of funding the lift could not be installed.

He said: “Investment for step-free access schemes on the tube is being targeted at the stations where they can deliver the greatest benefit for the largest number of customers.

“Harrow-on-the-Hill was one of the stations where work was deferred. This station remains a good candidate for future step-free access, and is listed in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy Accessibility Implementation Plan for delivery beyond 2018. This is not currently funded.”