Over 100 residents submitted their names to Derbyshire Dales District Council's complaints officer, outlining flaws in the way the footbridge consultation was conducted.

More than 20 local supporters have also been monitoring the bridge, linking Matlock Train Station and the new Sainsbury's, by counting pedestrian journeys to and from the store.

Spokesperson for The Matlock Footbridge Campaign Group Isabella Stone, said: "Our figures clearly show that the appallingly ugly ramp, which is supposedly there to help disabled people using non-powered wheelchairs, is not used by them at all.

"Over the two days, we counted a total of 2,323 journeys, of which only two were by wheelchair. Both of the wheelchair users were using electric powered vehicles.

"Fewer than one in a thousand pedestrian journeys to Sainsbury's were made by wheelchair on those two days."

She added that the district council claimed to have done 'widespread consultation' about the footbridge application but the group's investigations had highlighted several issues.

Mrs Stone said cthey were also complaining because not all residents and businesses affected received notification; the notices said that the development was in Cawdor Quarry, whereas the footbridge was in the station square; no conservation bodies were consulted; the word 'footbridge' never appeared on any of the planning notices or letters and objections that were made about the design of the footbridge were not sufficiently taken into account.

Protesters have identified a number of alternatives to the footbridge, which they want Sainsbury's, the local councils and the rail authorities to consider.

A meeting for supporters of the Matlock Footbridge Campaign will be held at the Imperial Rooms, Matlock on Friday May 16 at 6pm.

A spokesperson for the district council said: "All complaints are taken seriously by the district council and are dealt with under the district council's complaints procedure."