A furious councillor says residents trapped in their own homes are being treated with 'complete contempt' as housing bosses 'break a promise' to replace a broken lift before Christmas.

Cllr Jill Desayrah has spoken of her anger on behalf of the residents of Brookthorpe Close in Warndon, Worcester when she learned a broken lift would not be replaced within the promised timeframe.

The Warndon councillor said Tom Collins, Labour MP for Worcester, had managed to secure an assurance from Platform Housing Group that the lift would be replaced by November.

This was welcomed by vulnerable residents, some of whom have not been able to leave the flats since before last Christmas and now face another Christmas stuck indoors.  

COMPASSION: Cllr Jill Desayrah (right) meets resident Cynthia Ash and her daughter, Angela Jones as she tries to get the lift replaced as soon as possible (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Cynthia Ash, 84, is one of a number of vulnerable residents in the block of flats affected by the ongoing saga of a broken lift.

Despite regular visits from her family, Mrs Ash has not left her home since Christmas, too frail and frightened to use the stairlift, fitted as a temporary measure until the lift is replaced.

Cllr Desayrah said she was angry and concerned when she learned the lift saga was still not resolved until February with Platform apologising for the delay.

She said she had also spoken to a potential resident who was considering moving in on the ground floor on the understanding the lift would be replaced but would now have to have 'second thoughts'.

The laundry room on the first floor needs to be accessible to all residents, even those who live on the ground floor, said the Labour councillor.

"They had promised it was going to be fixed in November. I don't believe they have even contacted the supplier (to replace the lift). They have not done any such thing. How can they have?

"I feel very angry and let down on their behalf. It's no way to treat people. They have gone on record saying it's all in hand and going to be replaced. If this was any other social housing provider it would be done in two days. It's complete contempt as far as I can see.

"This was a promise made to Tom Collins. This is going to be devastating for the residents. Where has their Christmas gone now? One woman could not get out last Christmas. Under this plan she is going nowhere this Christmas either. Platform have had a chance to behave properly but they just don't care. This is a broken promise. It's  a promise about as broken as the lift."

Meanwhile. she described speaking to a resident who was trapped in the broken lift on October 18.

Cllr Desayrah said the woman was 'massively upset' and suffered an 'anxiety attack' with both the fire service and ambulance service attending the incident.

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"She was in a state," said Cllr Desayrah.

 The lift has broken down periodically but suffered a major breakdown in June last year. Sometimes residents have been left trapped inside the lift and have had to be freed by firefighters. 

Marion Duffy, Chief Operations Officer at Platform Housing Group said: “We are sincerely sorry for the prolonged issues with the lift at Brookthorpe Close. 

"The works to replace the lift will begin later this month and are likely to take between 10 to 12 weeks. We appreciate the inconvenience this is causing our customers however their safety is our priority.  Our local team will continue to provide help and any support during this time.”