Broken lift leaves veteran stuck in flat for weeks

Tony Swift said he was getting more depressed every day he was stuck inside

A disabled army veteran said he feels like he is "in prison" after being trapped in his home for two months because of a broken lift in his block of flats.

Since he suffered a stroke five years ago, Tony Swift has used a wheelchair to get around and as a result is unable to use the stairs in his retirement accommodation in Whitby.

The 65-year-old said the broken lift in Fairways Court had robbed him of his access to the outside world and left him feeling depressed.

FirstPort, the company that manages the property, said delays had been "caused by the replacement parts not being available in the UK" and it was "doing all we can to resolve this as quickly as possible".

Mr Swift, who was in the Royal Signals for 15 years, said many of the other residents in the block had been affected by the lift not working.

"I'm one of the youngest residents here so the older ones are struggling too," he said.

"They can get down the stairs for the coffee mornings, but it's getting back up which is a struggle."

Before the lift stopped working, Mr Swift said he would leave his first-floor flat several times a week to visit the cliff tops or "pop into the pub for a pint".

The property management company said it was supporting residents to reduce the disruption

But since August, he has been unable to attend medical appointments and has relied on supermarket deliveries to get his food.

Although friends and family have been to visit, he said being cut off from the outside world had affected his mental health.

"I'm getting more and more depressed every day I'm stuck inside. I feel like I'm in prison.

"The length of time it's taking to get this part, if I was able to get around properly I could have gone over and got it myself."

In a statement, FirstPort said "We fully understand how frustrating a lift outage is for residents and we are doing all we can to resolve this as quickly as possible.

"Unfortunately, this repair process has proven to be particularly challenging, with additional delays caused by the replacement parts not being available in the UK.

"We are working with specialist lift contractors to expedite this process, and all options are being explored to restore the lift."

The company said that in the meantime it was supporting residents to help reduce the disruption.

"This includes collecting refuse, carrying laundry up and down stairs and assisting with food deliveries," a spokesperson said.

"We are providing regular updates to residents to ensure that they are informed of the process."

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