Wallace and Gromit creators unveil new characters - who are all disabled

The creators of Wallace and Gromit have unveiled their latest characters - each with a disability.

Tim the tortoise (who gets around on crutches), stick inset Slim (who uses a walking stick) and Flash the sausage dog who uses a wheelchair are among six stars of the Creature Discomforts adverts.

The ad campaign, which is based on Aardman Animation's popular Creature Comforts commercials, aims to highlight problems faced by disabled people.

Dog's life: Flash describes the problems of being in a wheelchair

Each character is based on, and voiced by, a disabled person after Aardman Animation teamed up with the Leonard Cheshire Disability charity.

Slim is based on the reallife experiences of 66-year-old Irving Mellor, from the Isle of Man, who was registered disabled because of back problems caused by heavy lifting.

Tortoise Tim was inspired by Ian Wilding, 50, from Cardiff, who has multiple sclerosis.

Tortoise power: Tim uses crutches

Helping hand: Slim uses a walking stick, like the person who voices him

And wheelchair user Alex Milhaly, 57, from Derbyshire, is the voice behind Flash.

Bryan Dutton, director general of the charity, said: 'We want people to change the way they see disability, to think and act differently and to make a positive difference to the lives of disabled people.

'Creature Comforts is well known and much-loved for its ability to bring home messages in a simple, everyday way.

'Our Creature Discomforts campaign builds on this, making a serious point with humour.'

Steve Harding-Hill, from Aardman Animation, said: 'Taking the real voices and experiences of disabled people and creating animated stories that are informative, entertaining and poignant has been an immense but incredibly satisfying challenge.'

The campaign will feature in newspapers, on bus stops and online from Thursday, and in TV adverts from January.

Wheelchair: A dog who cannot walk

Disabled: A slug