A disabled Orpington woman has been confined to her wheelchair for a week after her through floor lift broke down.

Faye Hope, 49, has been left unable to get upstairs, wash herself or sleep in her bed since last Thursday (November 17).

Ms Hope, of Rye Crescent, contacted affordable housing provider Affinity Sutton on the morning the lift broke down and was sent a Wessex engineer later that afternoon.

Ms Hope said he managed to get the lift going again but found the gearbox was broken and needed to be replaced.

When Ms Hope asked the engineer if she could use the lift, she was told it was up to her.

She said: “I used it that evening both up and down, unfortunately when I used it Friday morning it broke down with me in it.

“Luckily a friend came and managed to get it down to ground level to enable me to get out.”

Ms Hope rang Affinity Sutton again and was assured another engineer would attend that day but by 8pm no-one had arrived.

When she rang the company again, she was given a direct number for Wessex which told her Affinity Sutton had not been in contact that day but it would come to the house to look at the lift.

When the engineer informed her it should be immediately put out of service, Ms Hope contacted Affinity Sutton but was told it could only deal with emergencies until Monday, even though Ms Hope explained she was unable to sleep, wash and sometimes suffers from incontinence.

In desperation she called London Fire Brigade but they can only attend if an ambulance is involved.

Ms Hope said she has been “pushed from pillar to post with phone calls and useless advice”.

An Affinity Sutton spokesperson said: "We completely appreciate the inconvenience Ms Hope has been experiencing and are working with our contractor to resolve the ongoing issues with the stair lift as soon as possible.

“The required parts to fix the lift are on order and until they arrive we have made arrangements for Ms Hope to stay in alternative accommodation."

From tonight, Affinity Sutton will be putting Ms Hope up in a hotel. 

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