A MUM-OF-THREE has called for something to be done to allow her son to access a picturesque beach just 10 minutes from their home.

Alex Davey is keen for the possibility of disabled access at Belhaven Bay to be explored, which would allow five-year-old Benjamin to join sisters Jackie and Caitlin on the sands.

When Benjamin – who attends The Hub at Sanderson’s Wynd, Tranent – was born his brain was “too small and too smooth”.

The youngster has microlissencephaly, which means his brain has failed to develop normally, as well as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, developmental delay and a visual impairment.

Mrs Davey, who works at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “Benjamin is non-verbal but he is a very sensory kind of child.

“He loves listening to the rain, feeling the wind on his face, looking up through the trees at the light.

“To be on the beach with the feel of the breeze and the sound of the waves would really benefit him.”

Currently, people visiting Belhaven Bay have two choices when they step onto the beach: to cross the Biel Burn, they can either wade through the water or use the Bridge to Nowhere.

Mrs Davey has joined Pippa Swan, chairwoman of Dunbar Community Council and former chairwoman of Dunbar and East Linton Area Partnership (DELAP), in hoping that a third option, for people in wheelchairs or with buggies, can be found.

She said: “The obvious idea is for some kind of access at the Belhaven end, which is closer to the town.

“Where the Bridge to Nowhere is, there is a concrete walkway; if you extend that across the burn as a causeway, so it would be underwater at high tide, it would provide the same role as the bridge, which you cannot access at high tide, [and provide disabled access and access for buggies].”

The family stay on nearby North Road and Benjamin’s mum said they would be at the beach every evening if access was improved.

She added: “We moved to Dunbar to more out in the country and have access to beaches. Belhaven Bay is beautiful and 10 minutes’ walk from the house.

“The main place we would want access to is the beach and at the moment we cannot go as a family because I cannot get Benjamin onto the beach.”

If steps could be taken to improve access, there would be the opportunity to see a beach wheelchair scheme, similar to that in North Berwick, put in place.

Beach wheelchairs have large, rubber wheels which move easily over the sand.

DELAP is keen to explore the possibility of creating improved access at the bay.

Previously, Mrs Swan said: “I cannot believe there cannot be an answer.

We can get people to the moon. Surely we can get a buggy across the Biel Burn and onto the sands.”

Ward councillor Norman Hampshire was fully behind the idea of something being created, although he stressed it would not be easy.

He said: “To create improved access onto Belhaven Bay would be something that I would support and I know that the council would get fully behind better access onto the bay.”

Ward colleague Paul McLennan added: “Belhaven Bay is beautiful – it is the best beach I have ever seen – and you don’t want to miss out on that.”

The councillor said that ideas had been drawn up in the past but had failed to get off the ground, with any proposal needing the backing of SEPA and East Lothian Council planners.