DISABLED people could be left without vital mobility equipment after a healthcare company closed its doors.

Ashdale Healthcare, which has an outlet in Walmgate, York, has been placed into administration because of financial difficulties.

The company, which sells wheelchairs, scooters and other mobility products, has already shut its York showroom.

Ashdale, which has outlets across the country, including Northallerton, has appointed Leeds receivers Geoffrey Martin and Company to look after its affairs. About 200 staff have been made redundant.

Customers who turned up at the York showroom were met with a hand-written sign saying "closed".

One of them, Gordon Ross of Huntington Road, York, regularly used the shop to buy products to aid his 100-year-old father.

He said: "I am very shocked at this closure. I bought a lot of things here and although I am not out of pocket, I will not be able to buy products. This shop was quite important to my family. Maybe it just wasn't accessible enough."

Another customer, who declined to be named, added: "It is a shame the centre has closed. I have spent £70 on equipment which has broken after just a month. Now it looks like I am going to be out of pocket."

Customers who have forked out a deposit for electric wheelchairs or scooters may get their cash back, because of a protection scheme operated by the British Healthcare Trades Association.

But the association has said it cannot honour orders where money has been paid in full.

A statement released by Geoffrey Martin and Company has blamed a "long history in trading losses" for the closures.

Stephen Hull, one of the joint administrative receivers, said: "The closure of the company's operations is the result of the poor trading performance.

"There may be a possibility of resurrecting some of those operations through sales of some, or all, of Ashdale Healthcare's businesses and assets.

"We are currently talking to a large number of interested parties on this matter."

Updated: 12:27 Wednesday, November 28, 2001