PENSIONERS were left stranded on the top floor of a sheltered housing block for 18 days after its only lift broke.

Elderly residents in The Willows, Chapel Street, Bicester were fuming it had been out of action for so long – and they had to rely on relatives and friends to bring fresh food or do laundry.

One retired electrician, who has difficulty walking, literally had crawl downstairs and back up again to have an evening out with his brother.

And another has asthma and said her condition made it difficult to walk back up the 32 steps.

The three-storey building, which is about four years old, has 20 flats over three floors and is run by housing association Sovereign Vale.

Retired electrician Maurice Kirby, 76, who has mobility problems and lives on the top floor with wife Margaret, who has Alzheimers and uses a wheelchair, said he had left his home only once in the 18 days.

He said: “I can’t get out. All weekend in the lovely weather we could not go out because my wife is in a wheelchair and needs the lift.

“My brother picked me up to go out for a night while the carer was here and I had to crawl down the stairs and back up.

“I think it’s disgraceful. They should have two lifts in building. What happens if there is a fire – we can’t get down the stairs?”

He said the couple relied on their daughter and carer to bring food and do their washing because the laundry room was on the ground floor.

Another top floor resident Lucy Williams, 84, said: “I have asthma and when I come up the stairs I can’t get my breath.”

Norman MacRae, 85, who lives on the ground floor and has been lobbying on behalf of residents, said it was second time the lift had broken in four years.

He said: “They should have spare parts in stock.

“Residents are absolutely fed up with it.

“It’s a health and safety risk as well.”

Phil Hardy, head of property services for Sovereign Vale, said daily support had been provided to help with shopping, obtaining medication and rubbish removal.

He said: “The repair has taken longer than anticipated as it required us to order a non-standard part.

“Unfortunately the repaired part had not resolved the problem, and it was taken away for further work.”

He said an engineer had refitted the part on Wednesday and the lift was now working.

Sovereign Vale said it would look into giving residents compensation.