A staggering 1,561 people added their names to the petition whilst visiting the local Scope charity shop, which is located at the Church Square shopping centre.

Nationally, the average store collected 200 names.

The protesters are demanding the Government ratifies in full a UN Convention on disability.

The Government has said it will ratify the treaty in December, but Scope and other disability organizations fear it will reserve, or opt out, on several key areas of the convention including education, and the armed forces, which would undermine its effectiveness.

Andrew Adair, Scope's retail director, said: "We are so proud that St Helens has set an amazing example by backing our campaign in such large numbers.

"We now urge people to continue to shop and to donate good quality stock to our local Scope store. You can pick up some of our fantastic Christmas cards – and remember that 100 per cent of the profit from our festive cards and giftware goes to directly supporting Scope's work with disabled people.

"It's a great opportunity for people to celebrate Christmas at a reasonable price whilst doing their bit for charity."