SOME might find the idea of being stuck in a lift slightly comical. Others would view it as a terrifying prospect. It actually happened to William and Patricia Farquharson – and it proved to be an ordeal for the pensioner couple.

Trapped in a lift at a car park in Worcester city centre, the couple were freed after more than 20 minutes by local workmen.

Mrs Farquharson, who suffers from a number of ailments, was then taken to hospital as it was feared she was having a heart attack.

Their situation was made worse by the treatment they received after hitting the panic alarm in the lift.

Some readers will find it surprising that the person answering their call for help was in Lancashire.

And the couple say their pleas to be released were met with laughter at the other end of the telephone before they were told an engineer “from the West Midlands” would be dispatched.

We wonder how long the Farquharsons would have been in the lift had their calls for help not been heard by workmen?

We wonder what would have happened if the lift had stalled between floors?

We understand the reasons for centralised call centres; they make economic sense for large organisations. But such efficiencies should not be at the expense of quick responses to problems like this.

The couple have now received an apology from the city council. It is the least they should expect.