Pensioners and disabled residents say they have been trapped in their own homes for two weeks because the lift in their seven-storey block of flats is out of order.

Terence Conlon, 79, a resident in Newcastle House, Church Bank, Bradford, said many residents cannot leave their homes because they cannot manage the stairs.

He said he has a huge struggle to climb the six flights of stairs up to his flat on the second floor. "I am a prisoner of these four walls but I am not the worst off," he said.

"My brother-in-law, who is wheelchair-bound, lives in the flat above us and he has not been able to leave his flat once for two weeks."

Mr Conlon said residents in the flats had repeatedly reported the broken lift to Bradford Community Housing Trust which owns the building - without any success.

"It has never been a reliable lift, there are always problems with it," said Mr Conlon who has four children, nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

"We have reported the broken lift so many times over the past two weeks and each time we are told they are waiting for a part."

Mr Conlon said the broken lift was not only stopping people leaving the building it was putting off visitors coming in. "Because a lot of the residents are elderly so are a lot of friends who visit them," he said.

Regen 2000 has spearheaded a regeneration programme at 39-flat Newcastle House which is currently in progress. The £240,000 programme includes landscaping, new gates and fences, seats and a car park.

It has been funded by the Government's Single Regeneration Budget.

Les Thorpe, head of investment and regeneration at BCHT Group, said: "The lift was taken out of service a week ago because of an intermittent fault and we apologise for the inconvenience it has caused. Contractors have been in daily contact with the manufacturer to get the required part needed to repair it. We have been advised the part is due to arrive today (Wednesday) and the repair will be carried out as soon as it is received."