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A pensioner from Banbury has said she feels like a ‘prisoner trapped in her own home’ after housing provider Sanctuary Housing left a block of flats without working lift for a month.

80-year-old June Butler moved back to Banbury from north Wales in 2019 to be closer to her children and family after the passing of her partner.

On advice from her son, June part-purchased a recently built second-story flat from Sanctuary on Tony Humphries Road, just metres from her former home on Appleby Close and nearby to her family members.

June said she moved back to Banbury to see more of her family, but the issues with the lift have made it hard for her to leave the flat and impossible for her son to bring his new-born baby around to visit because they can’t bring the baby’s pram up to visit her.

Tony Humphries Road resident June Butler says she sometimes feels like a prisoner in her own home.

June said: "It's making me feel absolutely awful; they have taken my money to buy this place, and I’m not getting fair play.

"I bought the place because of the lift, and I don’t expect not to be able to use it. I’m on the second floor, which has 34 steps to climb. I was 80 two weeks ago, and I’m virtually a prisoner some days because of my vertigo, which makes it hard to use the stairs.

"I have neighbours who rely on electric scooters to get around, and they are completely stuck. They were supposed to have fixed the lift last week, but nothing happened. We just want something done!"

In response to the faulty lifts and doors complaints, a spokesperson for Sanctuary Housing said: "We are sorry it is taking longer than expected to restore the lift and for the inconvenience residents have been caused. Our contractor will complete the repairs as soon as the specialist parts required arrive."

Sanctuary also said they had offered the affected residents the option of a temporary move while the work is completed, however, none of the residents took up the offer.

June was one of the residents offered alternative accommodation. She said: "They offered me a hotel and to send someone to do my shopping, but we want repairs done; we don’t need anything else.

"We are all over 55, and we are paying for this and getting nothing back."

Banbury pensioner feels 'trapped in her own home' after housing provider leaves flats without a lift