A BROKEN lift has been keeping disabled tenants "prisoners in their homes" as repairers struggle to find parts to fix it.

James Hetherington, who is 30 and has cerebral palsy, said he and another ten people living in upstairs flats at Wagtail Close in Clayton Heights, Bradford, were fed up and frustrated at being stuck.

Mr Hetherington, who was speaking on behalf of the other residents, has lived at the supported-living complex run by service provider Habinteg for five years, paid for by Bradford Council.

He said it is not the first time the lift has left them trapped with no other way of getting downstairs or getting on with their lives.

“It’s been three weeks and it’s been a couple of days at a time and now it’s been ten days," he said yesterday.

"We’ve been told the parts are obsolete but if they take some parts out and put some other bits in they should be able to fix it by the end of this week.

"This isn’t good enough. We need a new lift,” he said.

Ashleigh Marlow is 26 and also has cerebral palsy.

She said: “I don’t go out often but if there is a problem with my medication it can be a life or death situation.

"They need to get me downstairs and transferred to hospital as soon as possible so I’m scared about the lift not working.”

Simon Callaghan, Habinteg operations manager said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to our tenants by the damaged lift and the subsequent repairs required.

"We would like to assure tenants that we are working as quickly as possible to restore full lift access to their homes.

"Our staff have ordered the specific parts for the lift and they will be delivered and installed as a matter of urgency by the end of this week.”

Mr Hetherington’s father, Gary Hetherington, said the situation was unacceptable.

“James and others are prisoners in their flats," he said.

"They can’t get out for doctors’ appointments, hospital appointments, shopping or anything else. his has got to be an abuse of their human rights.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said it was aware of the problem but it was not affecting the care provided to residents.

She said: "For example, meals are being taken upstairs to their rooms. We have enough staff to cope.”

Mr Hetherington senior said his son was forced to miss his grandparent’s joint 90th birthday party on Sunday and he was worried he might not make a holiday that has cost him more than £2,000 and taken two years to save up for at a specialist resort in Southport.