82 year old veteran trapped in flat for months as broken lift leaves residents stranded

  • Terry Manley spoke to ITV Meridian's Richard Slee about how the broken lift has impact his daily life.

An 82 year old veteran with advanced lung cancer said he’s been trapped in his Southampton flat for more than four months because of a broken lift.

Former Royal Marine Terry Manley relies on a wheelchair and says without the lift, he’s unable to leave his first-floor flat and is fearful of missing vital hospital appointments.

"I need the lift just to go up one flight of stairs to get to a car," he said. "The trouble is, the longer I stay here, I start feeling depressed."

Terry said the lift has been broken since June. Credit: ITV Meridian

The lift in Terry’s social housing block, run by Sanctuary Housing, has been out of order since June. He said problems with it have been ongoing for years - and that he’s even been trapped inside twice, needing firefighters to rescue him.

Other residents, many of them elderly, are also affected. Terry relies on his partner and carer Carol to help him.

"We’re all old, walking up stairs it's just not on," Carol said. "It’s desperately needed. We feel totally neglected."

Terry tries to remain helpful, and hopes the lift will be fixed in time for him to attend Remembrance Day commemorations with his family.

Carol Nichols and Terry Manley say they feel neglected by Sanctuary Housing Credit: ITV Meridian

In a statement, Sanctuary said they "understand the difficulties' and are doing all they can to restore the lift as soon as possible.

"Our contractor has already attended the site several times. However, this is a significant and complex repair requiring specialist parts to be manufactured from overseas.

"As soon as the necessary parts are manufactured and shipped, the work to restore the lift will be carried out as the highest priority.

“We are continuing to offer our customers any support they need while the lift remains out of service. This includes supporting less mobile residents with laundry, shopping and disposing of refuse. We have also offered to temporarily move customers with specific mobility needs where they require further support."

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