Legislation introduced four years ago to tackle disability discrimination in the workplace is failing, according to one of the region's engineering groups.

Director of the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF) Yorkshire and Humberside, Ian Hughes, claims the Disability Discrimination Act has been used as a compensatory, rather than preventative, law.

He said: "The Act appears to have had relatively little effect in one of its primary areas - to bring more people with disabilities into the job market.

"Rather, the primary impact has been in relation to existing employees who suffer ill-health or injury and are dismissed for health-related reasons."

Mr Hughes urged manufacturers to seek advice from EEF staff on "this difficult and often distressing area of employment legislation."

The Federation can be contacted on (0113) 289 2671.