ELDERLY campaigners are celebrating after winning their right-of-way battle with a supermarket giant.

Hundreds of residents from Lordshill, Southampton, backed the campaign to force their local Sainsbury’s store to remove a barrier that blocked a pathway used by pensioners to get to the store.

Now planning bosses have ordered the supermarket to remove the blockade after supporting the pensioners’ campaign.

It had been installed to stop customers using the path which crosses a delivery entrance to the store used by lorries.

But it forced OAPs on to an extra route to get to the store down a steep pathway.

They said the diversion became treacherous in winter and left them unable to get to the shops.

One 92-year-old pensioner even told how he fell over on the path and was left sprawled on the pavement waiting for help.

Campaigner Frederick Smith, a retired marine engineer, said: “Since the path has been blocked I’ve fallen over a couple of times. I’m not able to pick myself up so I’ve had to lie there until someone came along to help me. It’s been agony.”

Fellow campaigner John Sillence, a 73-year-old retired Southern Electric employee, added: “This is a result for the older person. We’ve had a lot of help but everyone has treated us fairly. It’s definitely been worth it.”

The pensioners had been backed by local councillors Don Thomas and Keith Morrell plus a 600-name petition.

Cllr Thomas said: “Sainsbury’s should learn from this. It has been an outrage that residents of Lordshill have had to wait a whole year for this.

“This is absolutely brilliant and I am made up for the residents.”

Last night Sainsbury’s said they were considering whether to appeal.

A spokesman said: “Public safety has always been our main priority.

“We took the decision to close the route following consultation with highway officers from Southampton City Council.”