A DISABLED pensioner has been forced to drag himself down two flights of stairs because the lift in his block of flats has been broken for more than two weeks.

George Brown, 72, who has no legs, has to scramble down the 12 steps with his heavy wheelchair so he can get outside for some fresh air.

Other elderly residents at 12-storey St Michael's Court, Daisy Field, Blackburn, claim the breakdown has left them virtual prisoners in their own homes.

Today housing company Twin Valley Homes, which deliberately housed the pensioners in the flats in a bid to avoid "unnecessary conflict", apologised for the delay and said it was waiting for a part from abroad.

But a local councillor, a disabled charity and Age Concern said the delay had been unacceptable.

The 60 flats have two lifts, one that takes people to even numbered floors and another that goes to odd numbered floors.

The lift that goes to the odd floors is broken which means 30 people have been virtually confined to their rooms.

George, who lives on the first floor, said the operation to get himself down to ground level had taken him at least 15 minutes at a time, and was extremely tiring.

"It is really hard for me," he said. "It is really tiring - I am exhausted by the time I get to the bottom. But you have to get yourself out. Otherwise I am just stuck here looking out of the window."

George, who has lived in the flats on his own for almost five years, said the experience had left him feeling very depressed.

"I have asked the council to move me to a bungalow, because I can't put up with this again. Suppose there was a fire - how would I get out?

"It takes me five minutes just to get to my door. They should have fixed it much sooner."

The broken lift was reported to Twin Valley Homes who own the building, two weeks ago by the chairman of Daisy Field Residents Association, Irene Entwistle.

A company spokesman said the flats were for people over the age of 55 and added: "We do this because if you have a set of elderly people in a home and then a 20-year-old playing loud music moves in next door, it disrupts the balance and causes unnecessary conflicts."

Irene, 69, who also lives in one of the flats said she called a meeting last week with the company, who said the problem would be fixed last Friday.

She said: "I am disabled and have a walking stick and find it very hard to get up and down the stairs."

Local councillor Michael Law-Riding said: "It is an absolute disgrace. It is about time Twin Valley Homes got their act together and sorted out the problem once and for all."

Liz Daone, a spokeswoman for Scope, a charity for disabled people said: "It's vital for disabled people to have access into and out of their homes. We would expect any good landlord to give access issues top priority."

Vicky Shepherd information manager of Age Concern, King Street, Blackburn said: "I would expect that any issue of mobility concerning elderly people should be a priority issue and two weeks for an urgent case is a very long time.."

Twin Valley Homes chief executive Phil Richards said: "Our caretaker checks the lifts every day to make sure they are clean and in working order.

"As soon as it was realised there was a fault, contractors were called in and they advised Twin Valley Homes that the doors had been forced open manually, causing a major part failure.

"A new part has had to be specially made, and it is due for delivery today.

"We have written to all tenants and would like to reassure residents that Twin Valley Homes have pulled out all the stops to get the lifts back in action as quickly as possible."