ELDERLY residents at The Wharf in Calne spent nearly three weeks trapped inside their own rooms as the only lift servicing the three-storey building broke down.

The lift, which services the 35 flats and one three-bedroom house for residents over 55, broke down on Friday, November 11, forcing those who are able to use the stairs to get a breath of fresh air.

Brother and sister Steve Coleman and Anne Burns were so concerned that they considering driving 200 miles from Cornwall to help their other sister care for their 81-year-old mother Vera Tolley, who was stuck on the top floor.

He said: “The lift has been out of order for three weeks now.

“My mother lives on the top floor and she has had a double hip replacement and one of her ankles is bent over and she struggles to walk. There are several other residents who are housebound and relying on others to help. It is like a life sentence for them.”

According to the siblings, the lift, which has been in service for 26 years, causes considerable distress for the resident as it constantly breaks down.

“I am going up there on Thursday and I will stay with mum for a couple of days but it is not fair,” Mrs Burns said.

“Some of them are getting quite distressed about it.”

To try and help the residents GreenSquare asked the housekeeper to assist residents with their rubbish and laundry but the problems are caused anxiety among the close-knit community.

Nigel Bridge, head of property services at GreenSquare, said: “We appreciate that this is a really frustrating situation for those living at The Wharf and apologise for the inconvenience caused by the lift being out of service.

“We have been liaising closely with our lift contractor to get this issue resolved, however the nature of the problem has made it necessary to involve specialised hydraulic engineers.

“The necessary parts are on order and repairs are scheduled to be completed on Friday."

“We have ensured that staff have been on hand during this difficult time to help the affected residents in any way that they can, including with shopping and laundry, and this will continue until the lift is working again.”

The lift was repaired and back in service on Tuesday, November 29.