Nottingham tower block lift surfers 'putting lives at risk'

One resident said her lift fell three floors with her in it

People who have climbed on top of lifts to "ride" them in a tower block will be prosecuted, a housing manager has said.

Residents of Nottingham's Victoria Centre flats complained the lifts were often broken, prompting investigations.

Nottingham City Homes, which manages the apartments, said it found footage of people climbing into the shaft and "lift-surfing".

It condemned the practice as dangerous, adding it would prosecute those responsible.

Resident Sarah Brearley, who has lived in the flats for five years, said she was taking the lift up to her flat this week when it suddenly dropped three floors.

"My heart was in my mouth," she said. "It's shocking that they're doing this.

"They're not only putting their own lives at risk but everyone else's."

'Incredibly dangerous'

A notice in the lifts reads: "Lift problems at the Victoria Centre recently have seen lifts stop working for no apparent reason.

"We have now found that so called 'lift-surfers' are climbing into the shafts illegally, and riding on the top of the lifts, or swinging into the lift shaft itself."

A spokeswoman for Nottingham City Homes said: "We are aware of people accessing the lift shafts and disrupting lifts, which is incredibly dangerous.

"We are investigating and using CCTV footage to identify them and we will look to prosecute them."